Mast abrasion - critical? how to repair? how to prevent?

[ralphe]

Unwrapped her after a winter under a tarp and found some serious abrasions on the mast.
This is the worst but not the only one. Not very deep but rather extensive.
My guess is it was caused by the rough cables of standing rigging rubbing in the wind for months.
Wish I'd known to lash this down with a spiderweb of bungy cords away from the mast.

My questions are:
Is this critical to the integrity of the mast? People talk about stress concentrators around sharp edges of gouges / holes, but not rough abrasions...
How should I repair it, I guess mostly for cosmetic reasons as structural repair is unlikely?
And how should I prevent it in future, other than lashing the wires out of the way? Some sort of abrasion resistant surface coating?

Thanks
Ralph

[kmclemore]

Doesn’t look critical to me. You’ve lost the anodizing, but no real ‘meat’. Lightly sand it down in that area to remove any burrs or bumps, then coat it there with some clear coat to inhibit corrosion.

[ralphe]

Awesome, thanks. I was worried I'd made a very expensive mistake!

Ralph

[Jimmyt]

Ouch!

Lashing the shrouds and stays away from the mast as you suggest; or wrapping the mast, then lashing the stays and shrouds to the wrap (blankets,towels,etc); or using slit pipe insulation around the shrouds/stays and securing the insulation-encased shrouds/stays to the mast; would be a few suggestions.

You must have been unlucky enough to have set up just the wrong combination of conditions. Many forum members have towed thousands of miles at highway speeds without getting damage that significant. Or, maybe they just didn't post it...

It will certainly make me even more aware of my prep for trailering (I don't have wind exposure when stored).

Thanks for posting! Glad it was only cosmetic.

[Highlander]

I,d b checking those shrouds I,m betting u got some broken strands or at least compromised, just sayin thats all no harm in checkin just for the peace of mind

J

[Stickinthemud57]

I was reading the original post about wind whipping the rigging about while on the trailing and thinking "Man, that's a lot of wind." Then I read the OP's location. All of a sudden, it makes sense!

I concur with others and say no biggie. Cosmetic damage only.

[Highlander]

I was reading the original post about wind whipping the rigging about while on the trailing and thinking "Man, that's a lot of wind." Then I read the OP's location. All of a sudden, it makes sense!

I concur with others and say no biggie. Cosmetic damage only.

I,m in same location my boat has been in the water for 4yrs running mast up, coming out this yr for maintenance , some new shrouds , rudder brkt mods & new hardware & resealing of rudder brkt,s & new bottom paint any loose running rigging or standing rigging should b bungie corded tight ,

J

[ralphe]

Thanks for the tips everyone.
I will certainly have a good look at the shrouds for damage.
It's not while trailering that's the problem, just parked in the driveway for 4 months flapping around under a tarp.
But yes, it blows in at 50kts up the strait pretty often over winter.

My other stupid mistake was badly securing the tarp while parked under a huge tree all winter.
Pumping out the bilges into the cockpit yesterday, the cockpit was draining way slower than the pump... highlighted how badly the cockpit drain was blocked with leaves - glad I caught that before getting water in the cockpit while afloat!
Quite an effort to unblock, had to remove the T-piece to the motor well drain.