Installing a mast

[skipperdude]

I was looking at a Sundowner tug the other day. It had a small mast used for hauling the dingy. Simple thing made of wood with a heavy brass base.

Where would I find the base for such a thing ?*I would*like to make one myself. I have a nice piece of Sitka Spruce Perfect for the mast and spar. All I need is the base and the boom attachment.**(What ever it's called) The stays I can make.* It 's the mast base I can't find.

Any Ideas?

SD

 

[RT Firefly]

SD,
** How about having one cast at a foundry?* You could make a template out of wood and the foundry could use it to make their sand mold.* Allow for shrinkage though.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Dude,Thats a no-brainer. Go down the street to your local aluminum welder and have him make you one. We even have a good aluminum welder here in Thorne Bay.


Eric

 

[skipperdude]

Thats an Idea I have not thought of Aluminum would work.
The bronze one on the Tug really looked cool. Nice green patina. It sort of had a socket the base of the wood pole would fit in. Reminded me of a socket for a wooden leg.

I'm a salvage kind of guy.
I am also looking for a couple of trim rings for a pair of old Wilcox Crittendon 7 inch port holes. I got them off an old boat being cut up for disposal. I didn't think of the trim rings till after I got the ports off. The ports had about 30 coats of paint. When I went back, the boat was already gone. They sure cleaned up nice. Look brand new. I would love to install them but no trim ring.

Yep, I think I need to find a foundry that can produce things like this. Just wondered if anybody knew of such a critter.

SD

 

[skipperdude]

Rt,
What exactly is the shrinkage ratio of a mold? Is there a percentage?

I suppose I could just shave down the Sitka Spruce. *For the trim rings I think it would have to be pretty close.

SD



-- Edited by skipperdude on Thursday 24th of June 2010 11:12:18 AM

 

[Keith]

http://www.lunenburgfoundry.com/Marine-Industrial-Manufacturing/Manufacturing-Home/welcome.html

There are probably lots more via Google.

 

[RT Firefly]

SD,
** Haven't got a clue about shrinkage.* Friend of mine was a pattern maker for a foundry and had a number of rulers*for different shrinkage rates for when he made a pattern and measured it out, shrinkage conversion was already done.
** For example 1 real inch might be 7/8 cast iron inch.** Foundry will know.

 

[Datenight]

Eric is right. Go down the street to your local welder. I just had a base plate made for my mast. Be sure it has plenty of support maybe even a compression post to carry the load to the keel.

Rob
37' Sedan

-- Edited by Datenight on Thursday 24th of June 2010 08:19:37 PM

 

[koliver]

SD:
My boat came with an aluminum base for its tiny mast. It was cast, with adequate height both sides of the small aluminum mast. First time I used it, to lift my empty Sabot ( minimum weight per racing Sabot Rules, 52 lb, all in) it busted off on one side.
So I had a decent base fabricated at a welding shop. 1/4 inch stainless channel, 1x4, about 8 inches tall on both sides. maybe overkill for the tiny mast I had then, but fits right in with the present iteration. New mast was made of irrigation pipe, so strong enough without stays to lift my laser (150lb hull weight) without much bending. 14 yrs on, no problems.
Be brave. Design something strong and get your local SS welder to fab it for you.

 

[kstage]

Which reminds me, with regard to mast systems....anyone got a good simple solution for an efficient mast-lowering/raising system? Block and tackle? Winch? From my experience on the ICW, such a system needs to be easy, quick, reliable and suitable for single handers.

KHS

 

[hollywood8118]

You might try these guys, I have seen their stuff and its really cool,
LD



http://www.porttownsendfoundry.com/marine.htm

 

[Phil Fill]

I just had a new aluminum mast build, to replace the old wood one. *Is your house steel?** The old foot was square the new mast is round, so I filled the footvoid with epoxy.* *So do you still have the structure support for the fish?* Might be able to connect a boom to that, so a mast would not be needed.* If you still have the structure is enough *room for the boom to swing?* So where do you plan on installing the mast? *

The boom attachments is more complicated than the base as it has to be able to move up and down and move side to side, which you may have to have made.* If might be easier to have the whole thing aluminum/mettle so the things can be welded right to the mast boom. **Depending what you are going to pick up you might need stays/shrouds.* A mast and boom is more complicated than it looks.*

I would look at doing something with the fish stabilizers structure?*******
*

*


-- Edited by Phil Fill on Friday 25th of June 2010 09:54:51 AM

-- Edited by Phil Fill on Friday 25th of June 2010 09:56:16 AM

 

[skipperdude]

I thought of that.* The tuna tower Is set to far forward to enable coverage of the back deck. I would need a really long boom.

* On the nice days when the tide is high and the Admiral can get the motor chair down the ramp. I can take her for a boat ride,* at least out to pull the shrimp pots. I don't think*I can hoist her chair on board(*400#) including the batteries.* I should be able to rig a bosuns chair to lift her onboard. In the past I have just picked her up and put her on board. She is afraid I will hurt my back. With the M.S. she can't weigh more than 90# soaking wet. Go figgure. *But she worries.

*I do have the place to set the shrouds or stays what ever they are called. I can step the mast base to the roof of the cabin as that is all new structure. 3/4" marine ply with 4 layers of 3/4 oz matt. Plenty of support. Thanks for the thought.

SD*

 

[Phil Fill]

Our boom is about 12 ft and can raise the boom almost vertical when not in use as I have banged my head to many times on that blasted boom.* *Our mast is right behind the pilot house and the dinks sets on the very back of the roof.* The tower looks to be about in the right place to pick up the chair and set it on the stern deck.

 

[Steve]

You might want to think about making the base with a pivot point, it will make the mast easier to raise or lower if you need to do that.
Steve W

-- Edited by Steve on Friday 25th of June 2010 04:12:58 PM

 

[FF]

WE use a crane with auto-jeep DC winch .Simple curved arm of two aluminum pipes.

It drops into a slieve bolted in the boat near the stern and is wide enough for a B Whaler.

No remote , simply twist the switch on it and 1000lb of haul aboard is no problem.

JC Whitney is about 1/5 the price of "yachtty".

 

[Delfin]

If Sundowner is still in business, I expect they can direct you to the foundry that made what you saw.* You might consider just welding it together out of stainless, although aluminum as suggested would work.* This is a picture of what we built for Delfin.* Pull the top pin and you can lower the mast using a halyard run through a turning block back to the windlass.* Once the angle gets too acute, the mast has to be supported to finish lowering it, which ain't too convenient, but isn't impossible.

 

[Phil Fill]

I had a lift/crane davit modified/made for s sister 58 here.* He bought it at Second wave but it was not long enough and strong enough.* So I had the shop sleeve a longer bottom base that also allow the davit to pivot and welded a cross support to make is stronger.* The cost and complexity of the crane/davit and the boom is about the same if you have the mast as the boom davit are about the same except one is curved and one is straight. **The one advantage is the mast/boom you can pick up from both sides.*

 

[Keith]

Nice tabernacle there, Delfin.