Mast and Rigging from burnt and sunk boat , are they any good?

[mikogold]

A catamaran caught fire and sunk in the sea close to shore, I think I could use the mast and maybe the rigging. the question is if the fire damaged the mast and/or the rigging? the boat burnt for 3-4 hours before sinking. anybody know if the heat produced from burning fiberglass is enough to weaken an aluminum mast?
thanks for the advice

[bljones]

What do you plan to do with the rest of the boat that you are going to claim as salvage? Or are you just planning to steal the rig?

[TropicCat]

Catamarans don't heel and can't unload their sails, so their masts are built much heavier than monohull counterparts (larger diameter). My point is, it probably won't fit on your mast step even if the legalities pointed out above are complied with.

[XPatriot]

Fit aside, it will take at least a visual inspection to see what effect the heat had on both the mast and rigging. I'd also suggest a professional opinion....I'd not want that kind of thing sitting over my head without knowing it's integrity- especially the standing rigging which holds it up.

I'm not sure people on an internet board can or even should advise you as to whether a mast and/or rigging are safe to salvage and use!

[mikogold]

first, I'm in dominican republic and laws are very flexible around here. the boat just washed ashore in many pieces but the rigging is still underwater. I didn't see the rigging myself. my question is more related to the temperature that fiberglass produces and wwhat can aluminum withstand. I asume that the boat sunk prety fast once the hull fell apart. wouldn't it be like anheling?

[XPatriot]

It's not as easy as just determining what temperature the rig was exposed to and what can 'withstand'.

Boats are made up of many different materials that burn at different temperatures than fiberglass resin.

Did any chemicals explode or get onto the parts you want?
Did parts of the rigging let go before others did thus putting more strain on certain sections? Was anything torqued or flexed excessively?
How is it lying on the bottom, did any other parts fall on it?
When the mast/rigging hit the water, was it hot therefore the quick temperature change caused brittleness?

My point is you don't know until you recover it, and thoroughly inspect it.

[mikogold]

those are good points you mention.
I meant tempering not anheling.
I'm trying to evaluate if it worrth recovering at all.