MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Mike Holibar
Posts: 174
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:41 am

MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by Mike Holibar »

Hi all,

I finally did it. Bad seamanship, not bad boat, meant I broke the main mast about 1/3 up from the step. Does anyone have information on the process used to repair, or reccomendation on repairer.

This is a late 1980's mast with longitudinal cf and no circumferential cracking problem
.

My location is Indonesia heading to Malaysia.

Thanks,
Mike.
Mike Holibar
S/V Fyne Spirit of Plymouth (Freedom 39PHS-1989)
Lyttelton
New Zealand

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I have no idea how or if it can be repaired (especially given your location), but how did you do this? Are you insured? If so, does your insurance cover this?

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

marno
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Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by marno »

Hi Mike,

If you can't find anyone locally http://etamax.com.au/product_design.html make the masts for Harryproa and I expect would make a quality product. I have a 39 Express, if he needs to look at the masts on that for reference, he is more than welcome (They is located around 90 minutes South of here).

Regards

Marno
Marno

F39 Express

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VeloFellow
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Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by VeloFellow »

Here is how the previous owner of my boat repaired the mast.
It is still intact after six or seven years now?
He and we have sailed with full rig to 30knots.
We got caught with 60 knot gust in line squall.(I had sails down before leading edge hit)


"Michel as far as mast repair that was a long ordeal. I originally contacted Sponberg, he gave me some advice, most of which helped but as usual alot of tweaking was involved. I had to replace the 4' missing at the break to keep the length as original. (The short version) first I finally decided to sleeve the inside with a 6' tapered aluminum tube. Tube is 1/4" thick and it was tapered by a machine shop here so as to fit inside diameter of mast. once that was done I buttered it with 5200 marine adhesive. I then slammed that in the mast and centered it up. I found on line a supplier that made fiberglass tubing similar to the chinese handcuffs we played with as a kid. That is about the only way I can explain the material. It basically is woven and able to pull down tight on a tube from 8' down to 4'. I started with carbon fiber but then changed it to just fiber glass. I used that to build up the difference in the mast at the break and it worked very well. I then used 2" fiberglass tape and wraped the entire pole in both directions top to bottom. I faired that out and then pulled the total length of mast with that same woven material I used earlier to fair in the lower portion of mast where the aluminum post was. I used a heavier gague material first then pulled another one of lighter gague to use as a final layer. Using west systems epoxy as the major binder. Once I faired the surface I primed and painted, now that is another story" Numbknots
Mike
s/v Clave'
1981Freedom 28 #112
Currently sailing Tampa Bay
Buit by Fairways Marine Hamble England
cat ketch, centerboard , wishbone booms, tides track slides
yanmar 2ym15 2blade prop

Mike Holibar
Posts: 174
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 12:41 am

Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by Mike Holibar »

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Marno, could you send me your contact details for Etamax. They would like to take a look at your boat. My email is : mandjholibar@clear.net.nz. I have tried the PM, but without any luck.

I am assuming the Express and PHS boats have an identical main mast. We did see Starsend 2, a 1984 US built phs in Noumea. Their masts were black with the circumferential cracking problem. Ours is 1989, UK built, cream masts with no cracks. I believe both boats have TP masts.

Thanks again for your help.
Mike Holibar
S/V Fyne Spirit of Plymouth (Freedom 39PHS-1989)
Lyttelton
New Zealand

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folotp
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Location: Lake Ontario, Canada
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Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by folotp »

Hi Mike. The two masts on my F39 were replaced by the previous owner after being broken in a hurricane. The new ones were built by Composite Engineering (van Dusen Racing Boats) in Concord, Massachusetts. I have attached the drawings made by the previous owner. I have not verified the drawings myself, but I believe they are accurate. Hope this helps.
Freedom 39 PH - Masts Description.pdf
Freedom 39PH Mast Descriptions
(40.45 KiB) Downloaded 695 times
Pierre-André Folot
s/v “Farfelu” - Freedom 39 PH 1983, hull #14
Sailing the Thousand Islands and Lake Ontario
Canada

Mike Holibar
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Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by Mike Holibar »

Thank you Pierre Andre. That will be a great help.
Mike Holibar
S/V Fyne Spirit of Plymouth (Freedom 39PHS-1989)
Lyttelton
New Zealand

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1980raven
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Location: Warwick Cove, Rhode Island

Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by 1980raven »

G'day Mike, Hope you were able to repair your mast. I wonder if you might share the "bad seamanship" that caused you mast failure. I don't want to make the same mistake. Thanks. Art
Freedom 28 CK Hull# 14, centerboard, wrap around sails with WB booms
Narragansett Bay, RI

Mike Holibar
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Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by Mike Holibar »

G'day Art,
Sorry to be so long replying. I have been back in NZ orgaizing the materials for the repair, which we will start late January. I am fortunate to have a carbon fibre expert on site for a couple of weeks to guide the process.

How it happened? Oh the shame! I ste the spinnaker from the main mast, tacked to the toerail, and sheeted through the end of the main boom, spinnaker out to port, foresail to starboard, main furled, just exactly as shown in the Freedon F39 brochure.

The breeze was 10-15 knots true, gusting occasionally to 22. Boat speed 6-7 knots. In the space of a few seconds the wind seemed to back around 90 deg and back winded the spinnaker. I imediately turned to port, the boat seemed slow to respond. The sail gave three big flaps and the mastbroke about 3 metres above the deck, falling over the port side. Probably took about five seconds in all. No time to let go sheets or halyard.

Bad seamanship? The gusts to 22 perhaps should have suggested it was time to bring the spinnaker in, but she was sailing so well, like she was on rails. The motion is a lot more comfortable with the kite up. Second element, I usually would have taken the main halyard back to the starboard quarter to support the mast. This I hadn't done.

I had been aware that the best way to break one of these masts is to apply a load directly to the top, such as the method you might use when agaround in a stayed rig, taking a halyard out to a kedge and using it to heel the boat. With the main up the bending moment is distributed along the full length of the mast, where as with a spinnaker it is all at the top.

The same mast withstood 50 knots true from astern with a full main up for three hours a few years back. Boat speed got up to 13.8 knots. It is clear the mast is not a weak point, it was the skipper who made the boo boo.
Mike Holibar
S/V Fyne Spirit of Plymouth (Freedom 39PHS-1989)
Lyttelton
New Zealand

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: MAST REPAIR PROCESS F39PHS?

Post by GeoffSchultz »

This is probably why the 40/40 has the spinnaker halyard exit from the jib sheave box, which is 7/8 of the way up the mast.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

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