Replacing wooden mast

[mikogold]

I'm looking at a ketch with a broken wooden main If I end up buying it I would like to replace it with an aluminum spar. I can find some used masts around here but all of them are longer, one of the nicest is from a 44 sloop, the question is: how difficult is to cut/shorten an aluminum mast? I would like to know the amount of work and money involved in order to make a proper offer to the seller.
Thanks for any input.
miko

[knothead]

Cutting and shortening an aluminum mast is not a complicated or difficult process, but there are a number of things that must be considered.

If you are going to cut the mast off at the bottom, the gooseneck, winches, halyard exits, cleats and such are going to be lower to the deck. You might have to recut exits and remount hardware.
Your spreaders are going to be lower. What effect that might have depends on the rig and the boat.

If you are going to cut and remove sections of spar between the spreaders, (double spreader rig), that can get expensive and you will really want a spar shop to do that unless you can weld and have sufficient stands and a perfectly level floor.

Cutting off the top of the mast is a possibility but if it's a welded mast head, again you will need a welder. If it's a bolt on mast head, again you are changing the geometry of the spar and you may need to reposition spreaders, tangs and stay attachments.

Bottom line, it's better not to cut a mast but if you do have to cut it, it's better to cut a little bit off the bottom.

If it helps, I have both the main and mizzen from a Dickerson 40' or 41' (not sure which).
They have all their rigging, but it all needs to be replaced with the possible exception of the turnbuckles.
The spreaders are wood and still seem solid. The booms are wood and are shot.

Good Luck.

[deniseO30]

You could sell the spruce from the mast to canoe and or small boat builders as spruce is very very expensive to buy.

[mikogold]

thanks Knothead, I was thinking on cutting the bottom probably between 10 to 15 ft. the gooseneck, winches, halyard exits, cleats and such will all have to be reinstalled. any advice?
Miko

[TQA]

Get a quote from your local spar shop - anything else is just speculation.

[Minnewaska]

Here's a few available for sale at different lengths. Can you find one to fit? You would have to ship it, but I suspect that's a push to engineering something as you intend.

Sailorman New & Used Marine:

[okawbow]

I replced the wooden masts on my Cheoy Lee 31 ketch with used aluminum masts. It was a lot of work and planning, but turned out great. I was lucky to find masts that were just a few feet longer than the wood masts. I cut a little off both the bottom and top, in order to keep the spreaders in the correct spot. I re-used most of the fittings and rigging from the wood mast, as it was basicly new. I cut the mast head fittings out myself, and carefully re-fitted them to the shortened mast. I had a professional weld it back on. I also had to make a new mast step to fit the aluminum mast.

It is do-able, but you need metal working and rigging skills to do it right.

[mikogold]

I wish I could talk to a local rigger but there is not one close by. what about mast section? how do you adapt the through deck hole if the mast shape is different?. If I have to reposition the spreaders how can I know where to position them and at what angle?
cheers
Miko

[Minnewaska]

Customizing the engineering on your boat with advice from strangers is pretty dangerous. This is serious stuff, given that a dismasting could kill someone. Sometimes you will find that surveyors have engineering backgrounds and maybe there is one close that could help.

[deniseO30]

You do know.. the wooden mast is repairable, don't you?