Hi All - in removing my sail to get some work done to it I discovered some horizontal cracks on the mast just above the gooseneck
I haven’t noticed these before but in saying that this part of the mast is either always covered by the sail when it’s down, or I’m in the cockpit sailing the boat.
It does seem superficial but I’m scared of peeling it down a little in case I make it worse. What are people’s thoughts? How deep do I investigate?
Hello
This may not be a big problem.
It could be that only the plaster is cracked.
You’ll have to sand it down first to see how the laminate is doing.
Hi JL,
Those are superficial cracks in the caulking in and on the corners. They are non-structural. You can grind those out if you want and recaulk.
There is a known issue with circumferential cracking in the TPI masts that has been addressed before. I wrote a repair rocedure on how to identify and fix them which you can find in the documents section of this forum. I’ll upload another copy for you here.
FREEDOM YACHT MAST REPAIR.pdf (1.3 MB)
Cheers, Eric
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Hi all, I am jumping in on this thread as a new member, as I figure it is often discussed. I am a hair trigger away from making an offer on an F28 CK. All looks good, but my lack of experience with a carbon fiber rig has me questioning all the rings and cracks that run up the masts finish.
Cany anyone weigh in with their thoughts of “expected” vs. “abnormal” on this one? My largest concern is knowing that this boat likely weathered Hurricane Milton while docked, but those winds were viscious and that fatigue may take some time to reveal itself.
Thanks in advance, I really hope to be joining the crew soon.
Much obliged!
Jason
Hi
All first-generation Freedom masts have surface cracks like this.
Nothing to worry about.
The unidirectional carbon fibers are covered on both sides with strips of glass wound perpendicularly. These strips move a little, causing the gelcoat to crack, but the structure of the mast is in no way affected.
The ideal is to grind/sand the gelcoat, then apply a light glass roving and re-coat.
But you can do without it.
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Jason, Look at the answer directly before your first entry. I attached a file called FREEDOM YACHT MAST REPAIR.PDF which you can download. That attachment tells you everything you need to know about the circumerential mast cracking on TPI carbon fber masts and how to repair it. Good luck, Eric Sponberg
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Thanks Lorenzo, I appreciate the reply and the included picture. Looks like you had yours stripped down and being prepped for the repair as noted by Eric in his reply below.
Hopefully it can become a concern/not concern in the near future, but there appears to be a bit of emotional value in the price of the boat for now.
Thanks Eric, I appreciate it. I’ll give it a read and set it aside in case can become a one day project.