RE: 2 piece skinny mast

From: Chilton, Owain (GEIO) (Owain.Chilton@geio.ge.com-DeleteThis.com)
Date: Wed Aug 15 2001 - 12:06:36 PDT


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From: "Chilton, Owain (GEIO)" <Owain.Chilton@geio.ge.com-DeleteThis.com>
To: "'wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com'" <wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
Subject: RE: 2 piece skinny mast
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 15:06:36 -0400
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)

While we're talking about it - prevention is better than cure right?
My theory is that mast get stuck because you got dirt or sand in the
top half of the mast before you put it together.

As you put down/pick up your mast, you scoop up a little dirt/sand
from the rigging area. Then you, put it together, rig, take it out
in the water and shake all that (now) wet dirt down into the joint,
all the while flexing and unflexing the mast to make sure that the
"glue" is thoroughly worked into the joint.

So I say take care not to scoop up dirt/sand with your mast before
you put it together. If you hear a gritty sound when you slide your
mast together, take it apart and wipe off the ferrule and the inside
of the top half, repeat as necessary. If you follow this
precaution, I think you'll rarely encounter problems with stuck
masts. This applies to the bottom half of your mast and your
extension too)

Chilly.

P.S. I've seen Bob's method work like a charm

-----Original Message----- From: Bob Prevett
[mailto:prevett@nvidia.com-DeleteThis.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 11:24
AM To: Multiple recipients of list WIND_TALK Subject: RE: 2 piece
skinny mast

>Any ideas on how to separate a skinny 2 piece mast. > >I've tried:
>Shaking >hot water on it >pulling

There a bunch of ways that work pretty well for seperating a stuck
mast: clamping booms on mast top and bottoms and twisting, shaking,
etc. But there is one method that has never failed for me. and for
others' masts that I have volunteered to seperate.

- Get a very strong piece of rope or plastic-sheathed steel cable.
Standard downhaul line is marginal; kevlar line is better. The
rope/cable must have little to no stretch in it.

- Find some post/pole that is strongly anchored in the ground,
preferably with a concrete footing. My favorite choice is fire
hydrant.

- Use a clove hitch to tie end of the line to the bottom end of the
mast a few feet up from the bottom. I usually throw in a few extra
wraps in the clove hitch. Tie some sort of keeper knot with the
free end after the clove hitch is tied. If you don't know what a
clove hitch is, look it up on the web or in a sailing/boat book.

- Tie the other end of the rope/cable around the fixed footing. A
bowline knot with a keeper knot works very well, but any non-slip
knot will do.

- Grap the top part of the mast a few feet above the joint, take the
slack out of the rope/cable and give it sharp tugs. The mast should
pop right out.

- The key is to have a good shock on the tug, so keep the rope
relatively short, make sure it has very little stretch in it.

- The only time this method fails is when the rope breaks or the
knot isn't tied well and comes out.

- This method does not harm the mast since the direction of
pull/shock is directly in line with the length of the mast. And
that is exactly why it works so well. There is no sideways force on
the joint; the force is in line with the mast.

Bob

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