Mast flotation

From: Edward Wilson (ed.wilson@ibm.net-DeleteThis)
Date: Mon Apr 20 1998 - 08:29:58 PDT


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Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 08:29:58 -0700
To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
From: Edward Wilson <ed.wilson@ibm.net-DeleteThis>
Subject: Mast flotation
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I would like to make my rig buoyant, and have tried plugging/sealing the
mast end caps in the past. I have found that often some water will slowly,
eventually leak in past the seals. Then once it's in there, it's difficult
to get it out (stand it on its end for a while).

Have thought about the blown foam idea below, but my guess is the weight of
the foam, although small, and viscoelasticity, although small, would
degrade your mast performance significantly. Hope I'm wrong though - let me
know if you try it.

Right now, I use an unplugged mast (sinking rig), a Chinook 2-bolt base
with Streamlined tendon, and plan to swim for the board should the need
ever arise.

I actually rescued a guy last year (Feb 97, 3rd ave) who went for the rig
vs. the board. Somehow, I was able to track down his board, then tow it
back to him, then tow him in. Ended up on shore 3 hours after sunset. Coast
Guard had been unable to see my Firefly 2 strobe (and my sail was out of
the water, because I was towing the guy). I immediately bought a radio
after that experience.

Brief lessons from that experience:
1. don't hesitate, go for the board
2. never count on anything to save you. Hope for it, make it easy for them
to find you, but make that your backup plan. Start paddling or whatever to
get yourself home. They had the CG helicopter + boat out, but could not see
my strobe + sail (!?).
3. if using a strobe, CG recommended using it in conjunction with flares.
Flare gives them an idea of where to look, strobe lets them find you. For
us, they were scanning from Coyote to the SM bridge.
4. it made me buy a radio.

I've got the full story of the rescue, which I posted here last year. Let
me know if anyone wants a copy.

Ed Wilson
3rd Ave
Brown Vanagon
Forsythe/Naish, Mistral/Ezzy

>From: dfielder@cooper.cpmc.org-DeleteThis (David R. Fielder)
>Subject: Re Mast/Boom Flotation
>Someone inquired about how to seal mast/boom pieces so stay floating. I've
>been thinking about this because my mast top section routinely leaks water,
>which I can hear/feel sloshing when I de-rig (never leaks out by itself).
>One option might be to take off the endcap (however) and squirt in some of
>that construction foam-in-place sealant (hardware store item), which dries
>to solid foam in few minutes and weighs almost nothing. I've used it to
>seal wall/joint and plumbing gaps for ant control, etc. No idea how it
>would hold up inside a mast. Comments??



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