by DanaDCole on Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:11 am
As Craig points out, the mast is epoxied, so if properly done there should be no worries about water infiltration. (Any holes drilled in the mast should be sealed with 3M 5200; or drilled larger, filled with thickened epoxy, and re-drilled within the epoxy fill.) The mast should not be fiberglassed as this would add too much weight at a high moment-arm. Craig's idea about reinforcing at the pivot point seems logical though, and wouldn't add that much weight--also not at a very high point of moment.
But I've been wondering for a while about mast strength.
And that brings me to my question. I have a Skerry (still building the Pocketship) and on the Skerry the mast partner is an extension of the seat, about 13 or 14 inches above the step (the boat is all sealed up for the winter, so I'm not going out there and measure). There are no stays or shrouds, so obviously there is tremendous pressure at the point it goes through the partner and down to the step. So Craig's comment about most of the pressure being at the pivot point makes sense, except for the fact that the mast has shrouds and the jib stay serves as a forestay. There is not backstay, but the shrouds are angled back a bit. So to my mind this relieves a lot of the pressure on the pivot point, provided the stay and shrouds are adjusted properly. Am I correct about this? Wouldn't most of the pressure on the mast now be distributed more-or-less evenly along the length of the mast from pivot point to head? As long as the chain plates and bowsprit eyes hold, the mast should be pretty safe. Please let me know where I'm missing the point.