Spartite removal/installation

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Spartite removal/installation

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What experiences have people had with removing their masts with a Spartite ring and the re-installing it? Does the material swell at all?

I'm having an argument with a boat yard who cut off my Spartite ring last year when I was having the mast repainted. There was no reason to cut it off and I wasn't a happy camper. They used a hacksaw blade to cut it, so the cut removed very little material. However, when we went to put it back on, it wouldn't fit into the partners and we ended up having to sand it down to fit.

-- Geoff

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Michel
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by Michel »

Geoff,

When I had to take off the masts of my F44 to ship it to Europe, I had to cut the PU mast wedges with a hacksaw too. They weren't set with Spartite, but a much harder Shore A 90 PU rubber that would not budge because it was cast without vaseline on the mast or deck opening. If your Spartite was cast in the opening without vaseline, which is the way they advise if you want a watertight seal, I'm not surprised they could not get it out without a saw.

When you put your masts back in again, I advise you to look for PMC-790. It costs about a third of Spartite (it's unbranded) and it's much harder, so it will keep your masts in place a lot better. You use it in the exact same way as Spartite. Spartite is Shore A 55-60 and meant for stayed masts. They don't say it on their website, but if you call them and ask if they guarantee a good positioning and a good watertight seal with an unstayed mast, they admit Spartite is a bit too elastic for that purpose.

My current PU wedges and seals are vaselined against the deck edge. But I'm not sure if the masts will come out easily.

Good luck,

Michel
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Michel,

My mast came out without problems as I had Vasolined the partners before installing the Spartite. The problem was that they decided to remove the Spartite ring from the mast when painting it. They only made a single cut, so we were able to slide it onto the mast and re-use the Spartite ring. However, it no longer fit, and I couldn't tell if it had changed shape due to being cut or it had expanded due to not being compressed while the mast was out of the boat.

-- Geoff
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Michel
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by Michel »

Ah okay, that's a different story. I doubt if lack of compression has caused the problem; the spartite is cast around the mast and not forced in. I think painting the mast and possibly using a fairing compound, changedd the shape and/or diameter of the mast slightly, enough to prevent the ring to fit again.
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Here's part of the response from Spartite
Spartite ring should not swell at all and should fit back between the mast and collar in the Spring the exact same way it came out. It should stay on the mast for winter storage. We recommend covering it just for protection from the weather.

Now, if the Spartite ring is over 10-15 years old or has be sailed under extreme conditions, the ring may start to fall to pieces. That is age and normal wear and tear. At this point the Spartite pour should be done again (after removing the old ring).
There is no way it can swell because in essence it is a cured piece of plastic. It definitely does not absorb water. It is supposed to be a very tight fit as it poured in place to begin with. The directions tell you to Re-Vaseline the ring prior to stepping the mast.
-- Geoff
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1997 Freedom 40/40
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Michel
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by Michel »

Geoff, I really think the paint system changed the diameter of the mast. For a rubber ring cast in situ, a circumference change of 1 millimeter may result in problems getting things back together. I guess you have to cast a new ring. If you do that, I advice you to use the much cheaper and harder PMC-790 PU rubber.
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I believe that the real issue was that the boatyard cut the ring off when there was no reason to have done so. That's what allowed it to change shape and caused all of the later problems.

-- Geoff
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Michel
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by Michel »

But if your mast still had the same shape and diameter as before the paint job, why would the cut ring not fit? The ring has been cast, so there is no tension in it. It has not been stretched around the mast.
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I can't answer that. I can only tell you what happened. Probably part of the problem was determining the correct orientation of the ring when it was re-installed. There were no marks to indicate the correct rotational angle.

The bottom line is that there was no reason to remove it and it's caused a lot of problems since then.

-- Geoff
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katorpus
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Re: Spartite removal/installation

Post by katorpus »

I think you have your answer there Geoff

Registration marks on the mast, the ring, and the collar would probably have prevented this problem...in any case, it wouldn't hurt, and likely this thread will benefit "the next guy".

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