Photos of the Bent Mast...For the strong of heart only!

[Divecoz]

$752 is for the complete mast with light, main halyard block, spreader bracket, etc. already installed.
$450 for the bare mast extrusion.
$465 for the extrusion with spread.
$480 for drilled and spread.

Hey Bill how about I buy the bent mast and you and I spend the winter turning WindWine&Song into a Schooner?
If we really hurry we can have it done before Audrey get's back from Sailing in Tortola

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

We'd have to work fast. As you know, the winters here on the north coast are so short they come and go before you even notice.
Then summer comes and seems to last so long that you get tired of going sailing all the time.

[Captain Steve]

Rich, Have you checked locally here at Channel Islands Harbor. there are quite a few marine repair and supply places. Also next door at Ventura harbor too. Might e easier to bring your mast to the boat.

[Morimaro]

Frank C

the mooring is a buoy out in open water not a slip, so the rolling and pitching motion is far in excess of anything on a slip.
For the previous four years she was on a slip (pontoon) and there is minimal motion, so the same result would not have happened.
But probably during some heavily healed sailing it would have gone anyway, though I did intend replacing the weakened stay at the end of that season!!!
In the future bent or chaffed rigging gets changed straight away.

[Frank C]

Rich, Have you checked locally here at Channel Islands Harbor. there are quite a few marine repair and supply places. Also next door at Ventura harbor too. Might be easier to bring your mast to the boat.

Shipping a mast is a significant and costly issue. Rich has the advantage of boat & trailer located within a couple hours of the Factory. And Steve makes another excellent point ... but first ... "this message from the builder."

"These rigs just don't come down !!!"

I'd view this mishap as "opportunity" to improve on a (repeatedly) demonstrated, basic mast weakness. First step, tow the boat to a local spar & rigging shop for a survey & discussion. The 26X spreaders clearly induce a notable weakness (is the problem on 26X worse than for the 26M? I'm not qualified to opine whether it's a "stragetic failure point.")

If a spar shop could insert an internal reinforcing sleeve (12" to 18" length) at reasonable cost, that would result in a stronger mast (isn't the M19 mast split at the middle?) Just one opinion, but after enumerating six masts damaged near the spreaders (quick count*), I'd rather spend that $450 on a reinforcing repair, possibly an important advantage over simple replacement.


(*) Bent or Broken Masts

• 1. Rich's 26M mast toppled & bent at spreaders
  2. John Mason, 26X Gulf Coast, toppled & bent at spreaders (halyard cleat failed)
  3. Female owner snagged a shroud, mast snapped at spreaders
  4. Morris, 26X on Solent mooring, mast snapped at spreaders
  5. Paul, 26X on Tahoe mooring, mast snapped at spreaders
  6. Paul, 26X on Tahoe mooring, (AGAIN) mast snapped at spreaders
  7. Should the MacFactory be pondering a new, "running change list" ?

ETA search terms: dismast, dismasting, dismasted