Mast Painting

[KenD]

I just got an estimate from the yard for painting the mast and boom it looks chipped and not very seamanlike at all. does 2500.00 seem like a bunch of money it''s only a thirty foot boat to break it down it goes like this lift time 150.00 labor 165.00 r&r standing rigging 220.00 prep and paint mast and boom 1485.00 plus 400.00 material thats a lot of paint? retune mast 110.00 this seems like a gotcha to me, I may be wrong, but I''am willing to be educated on this not sure I want to pay the price but willing to learn.

[pirateofcapeann]

Kryst! For that kind of money I’d bet you could buy brand new sticks for your 30 footer, paint and all! For all it''s worth, why not paint it yourself? Someone out here''s got to know what kind of paint to use and how to prep the aluminum and existing paint (I doubt you''d expect to need the same results as found on the presidential yacht or the like). Besides, wouldn’t it make you that much more proud of ol’ Betsy to be able to say that you did it yourself?

Just as a note, I painted my mast but that one''s wood. I used regular old Pittsburgh house paint and it is holding up great after better then 5 years of hard use!

Pi

[llee]

Yikes! I was going to paint mine as well but after looking at you''re estimate I''m am definetely painting the mast myself. I pick up Don Casey''s book on sailboat refinishing and it covers mast painting, prepping, etching, priming, etc.. It''s pretty interesting reading if I say so myself. Then alls you need to do is pay riggers to remove/replace the mast, tune the rig and your off!

[bmcald]

For that matter, why pay for someone to step and unstep the mast? There are public rigs set up on either side of the bridges of the Shinnecock canal here on Long Island, and they''re very easy to use by just two people. If you''re in an area with a canal or other waterway with low bridges, you might have access to free rigs to pull and step masts too.

[llee]

Free lifts? Not here in the west..SF Bay that I know of. Pretty good..I''d go that route myself. Get the book on painting first.

Lee

[DelmarRey]

Holy mackerel!!!! If it''s aluminum and for that kind of money I think I would look into having it black anodized. You''ll never need it painted again. And if your mast sits on a step on deck you can step it yourself. I have a HD 27'' mast that I step everytime I take it out (trailered s/v). If it steps on the keel then you''ll need a lift. What would the cost of a new mast be?

[sadie14]

We repainted ours - it was painted originally and the paint was totally oxidized and missing in many areas.

It is A LOT OF WORK. The money does not seem unreasonable. The paint is expensive (we had awlgrip - 2 coats) as are the acid washes (2) and the primers (3). You have to remove EVERYTHING that is removable. This takes a lot of time. You have to CAREFULLY label everything and drop it in ziploc bags or you will never get it put back together.

You have to sand EVERY spec of paint off. You have to sand any corroded areas. Then you have to tape anything left that should not be acid washed (stainless fittings).

Then you acid wash with one type of product. Then you acid wash with a different type. Then you have to get the first primer on within 3-6 hours of the last wash, which has to be done right after the first wash. The primer has to go on with time to dry before the dew point, so you have to start early. And you will work non stop for hours. Eat a large breakfast and get going.

Then 2 more primers. Then you sand with 320 BY HAND. Then you can paint.

We did all the work ourselves with the exception of the painting and priming. We paid a painter with a sprayer to spray the primers and the awlgrip.

Don''t forget to do the spreaders, the boom, and the mast head.

Still want to do it yourself? If you don''t do the prep and all the steps, why bother? It won''t last. $2500 seems cheap now that I''ve done it myself.

[jparker11]

sadie14

Whew!! I think I will take a nap!! Wondering why my wallet is lighter, my arms sore and this extra bag of screws?

Everything you say is true, I just didn''t realize it until after I was done. Though, now it is the brightest, shiniest stick in the marina!! Well worth it.

Oh, you forgot to warn them about the cost and time of the other projects that creep in like new mast wiring, new anchor and steaming lights (LED, of course, new deck lights..........

[sadie14]

You''re right, John. We also rewired, re-halyarded, re-rigged (ourselves, stayloc), re-lighted, greased winches, new screws on every re-used part. We love the results, but honestly, I would NEVER do it again. (Until I forget the pain.) It was a huge job - not to be undertaken lightly.

[Dzedzej]

Just had a 55'' main and 30'' mizzen painted.. quote from a good yard was for 2800 had big blow out when I got 7400 bill. Starting to think sometimes new is better than maintenance...but disposable mast<g>