[Classic30]

Well, for starters, you can't varnish aluminium..

 

[Classic30]

I epoxied and varnished my masts before setting on a long cruise and had to do NOTHING to them for 5 years...the reason they lasted so much was cause I stripped them and fixed everything that needed attention which included scarfing in new wood at some places and completely epoxing the masts in west systems like 5 times before applying 10 coats or so of heavy uv protected varnish....for a while there was a trend of modern glass hulls and light wooden masts on some boats...

Wooden masts certainly look nicer varnished, but, as advocated by Hiscocks during their multiple world tours and something I can attest to, there's absolutely nothing wrong with painting the mast (white) instead of varnishing it. This pushes the "annual" maintenance out to 3-5 years by reducing solar heating of the timber and glues underneath.

Of course this only works for Bermudan-rigged boats.. if you have a gaffer you're kinda stuck with either a hard-wearing spar varnish or an oil - for the working part of the mast anyways.

 

[Classic30]

The thing I remember most about wooden boats is sand, varnish, & paint. Our last boat had an aluminum mast & glass hull. We spent way more time sailing it than polishing it. Aluminum doesn't rot.

True enough..

..but as you said yourself, it's not a piece of artwork either.

 

[Classic30]

If you have a wooden mast it should not be painted, but should be varnished. Paint hides any problem areas - wet wood or rot. Paint hides it until it is too late. There is really no such thing as a no maintenance wooden mast. They deserve close inspection annually.

Brian, as a perfectly satisfied Painted Wooden Mast (PWM) owner, I respectfully disagree... as does Eric Hiscock (of "Cruising Under Sail" and "Voyaging Under Sail" fame) and, IIRC, Donald Street and countless other wooden boat owners of all types and varieties - just look for the white mast cap and ask aboard. ..but then maybe you don't live under an ozone hole as some of us do.

Sure, you should check it occasionally and get onto any issues promptly, just as you should a mast of any manufacture, however, built properly the first time around, there is no reason a wooden mast shouldn't be 'low maintenance' at least. Heck, my mast has been in my boat longer than most people on this forum have been alive.

 

[Classic30]

Actually I live in B.C., Canada's wet coast, often under a rain cloud.

What I posted is advice I have read often. My mast is made of that newfangled material called aluminum as well as all my previous boat's masts.

It would appear, then, that what you have read doesn't stack up in practice.. for those of us not living under rot-inducing rain clouds.

Aluminium is good.. but, unlike wood, it does have a nasty habit of corroding around rivets of dissimilar metals (according to Murphy's Law, usually in places that aren't easy to get at) thus necessitating inspection at least bi-annually - or so I've read.

I think many would agree that varnish allows easier inspection. And if epoxy treated before varnish that has good uv protection it would require less maintenance than varnish by itself.

I'd agree with that 100%. Epoxy-treated and varnished looks stunning also.. but since it still suffers from the effects of solar heating as I mentioned previously, I think I'll stick to boring old Painted Wood.

 

[Classic30]

A faux painted mast, whether carbon fibre or aluminum can look pretty good I think.

You think so?? I imagine that would be an absolute b**ch to repair if it got dinged or otherwise mis-handled. I can only guess what damage crusty old crane slings would do to that gleaming faux finish the first time it was lowered into the boat.

 

[Classic30]

Nice!!!

..but probably wayyy too much varnish for some.

 

[Classic30]

Boy, I agree with that. I love my stainless handrails.

Sure nice to look at though.

That reminds me of Colin Mudie's famous quote (to which I wholeheartedly subscribe):

"One day I shall have two boats exactly the same. I shall sail in one and look back at the other to extract the last ounce of pleasure from my labour. And if it happens that I cannot have two lovely boats and become bitter, I shall sail around in the ugliest of boats I can find, looking at everyone else's nice boat, whilst they have to avert their gaze from mine."

..and as a naval architect, he should know. :laugher :laugher

 

[Classic30]

.......One thing I can say about wooden mast though, the SOBs are heavy. Real heavy.

Rubbish. Absolute bollocks.

The old-time masts might have been true telephone poles and has heavy as you describe, but a modern properly designed and constructed hollow timber mast constructed from first-quality spruce or Oregon need not weigh any more than its aluminium counterpart.

By way of example: My 40' long 1957-vintage mast can be carried quite easily by two people and is a true work of art in timber (although you'd probably need to be an engineer to appreciate that).

 

[Classic30]

Righto.. Having pointed out all the good bits, all I can say that's bad about a wooden mast is that I, personally, would not ever want to have to buy a new one.

Given (a) that a hollow mast is very often a true work of art in design and (b) that both the timber quality and the workmanship required to put the whole thing together is extremely scarce these days, I imagine I could buy at least ten factory-formed, ordinary, boring aluminium masts, fully fitted out, for the price of the one wooden one I have!