I have a 32’ that I bought and is on the hard 16 hours away from me. I am trying to get together most everything I will need to get it back in the water before I go to get it in May. I have read all the good info I could find here on the mast wedge, but I need the measurements of the mast wedge so I can cut it before I go. There was no wedge on the boat now and the mast is off. There were only a couple pieces of broken 1" nylon there. I hope someone can remember or knows the size.
Thanks
I have an F40/40 that I was having mast wedge issues with. I finally called Paul Dennis at Warren River Boat Works who used to build Freedoms and works a lot on them still. He said he gave up on the mast wedge years ago and moved to using spar tight. He said the mast wedge was too difficult to get “just right”.
The spar tight pour was just finished and I expect to have the boat back next week. So hopefully this will fix my issues. But you might want to consider spar tight instead of the mast wedge.
Hi Rob,
I’m afraid that the attached drawing may not be of help as the dimensions are for my M28 and not your 32; I am not sure if the same mast wedge material was used for both. If you have even a scrap of the old wedge that will give you the width and height, the length can be left long and trimmed to fit when you step the mast. The manufacturer I used for the new wedge is given in my post https://www.freedomyachts.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13288 which you’ve probably checked already.
Mast compression ring_drawing.pdf (1.39 MB)
[quote=TonyB post_id=55244 time=1676180491 user_id=6157]
I have an F40/40 that I was having mast wedge issues with. I finally called Paul Dennis at Warren River Boat Works who used to build Freedoms and works a lot on them still. He said he gave up on the mast wedge years ago and moved to using spar tight. He said the mast wedge was too difficult to get “just right”.
The spar tight pour was just finished and I expect to have the boat back next week. So hopefully this will fix my issues. But you might want to consider spar tight instead of the mast wedge.
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I like the idea but how would I keep a 49 foot mast in center and not moving while the boat is in the water. With a carbon fiber mast and no rigging I do not believe I could keep it in place while it hardens over the 24hours . My mast goes on after its in the water .
Stepping a mast while it is in the water seems like a challenge for all involved, but I could be wrong as I am a newbie. I did step the mast on my 28M last year and with the proper wedge it is rather straightforward as long as you have a good mallet and don’t over caulk , which will make it much harder to take the mast out down the road .
Well I didn’t do it. But I think you would use wooden wedges at the top to center and hold the mast in place. Then do a partial pour and let it harden. Then remove wedges (now first partial pour holds mast in place) and do a second pour to fill up space.
I had Paul install Spartite while my boat was in the water, it’s not a problem. I don’t remember exactly how he did it, but you can certainly call and ask him. I remember that we had to wait for a calm day.
These were the instructions from Paul (as I remember them):
- Align Mast
Center Mast (with wedges)
Apply vaseline to sides of opening so spartite doesn’t stick to cabin top.
Do Not apply vaseline to mast, so that spartite ring will pull with mast in the future.
Fill bottom of gap with provided clay.
Pour some spartite in and allow to set
Remove wedges and clay.
Build small dam on cabin top around opening so you can pour a little bit above.
Pour second pour of spartite so it sits just above cabin top.
Install ring down onto top of spartite it will push spartite wedge super snug
Fill just the very top edge of the ring to mast gap with silicon caulking.
By no means would I ever question Paul’s knowledge and experience, but the Spartite approach seems like a lot of fussy work, and I wonder how well the result will stand up to repeated removals and resteps of the mast.
It’s a little bewildering to me why Freedom owners don’t just make a new polyurethane wedge and replicate the original design (which, after all, held up for most of us without issue for the first 30+ years). It’s not that hard or expensive. My mast comes out every year, and there isn’t any drama to it. The polyurethane wedge gets re-used every year with just a modest bead of silicone seal around the top collar, is snugged down under the collar, and that’s all it needs.
As always there’s multiple ways to solve the problem.
Well my polyurethane wedge has been nothing but trouble causing really loud creaking and groaning. So that is why we are moving away from it. Hopefully the spartite solves the problem.
Our mast comes out every few years. Make sure that you provide registration marks on the mast and the ring.
I’ve poured Spartite 2x times. I had no problems keeping the mast upright with wedges. It sets up pretty quickly. Making a leakproof dam is a challenge!
For the person who wants this to stop the creaking, you’re barking up the wrong tree. You need to secure the mast at the base “pie-pan” so that it doesn’t move. Coat the inside of the mast with release agent and the coat the piepan with fiberglass and fit it inside the mast. You need to control the mast shifting.
- Geoff
Yes we looked at that as well. But with three very experienced boat repair folks and a naval architect on board with a stethoscope, all sound was definitely coming from the partners and not the base.
mast wedges have been used on sailing ships for hundreds if not thousands of years . they have always been tapered so that as they wore out they could be driven deeper, same drill with the polyurethane collar wedges on your freedom. They are tapered for a reason. Simply slide the mast collar up the mast and the wedge will be exposed and then you can drive it hard against the mast. That being said polyurethane hardens over time and as some of the wedges on freedoms are either at or near the need of their shelf life and warrant replacement . All of the above can be accomplished with the mast in situ. Adam p.s. any one with the specs a chunk of polyurethane can wack out a new collar in 10 min.
sorry, with a water jet
spartite is only a temporary fix will eventually wear out and require the mast to be removed for a re do where as the wedges can be progressively ajusted in situ
[quote=adam post_id=55260 time=1676422085 user_id=6405]
spartite is only a temporary fix will eventually wear out and require the mast to be removed for a re do where as the wedges can be progressively ajusted in situ
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Says who? I’ve had it on my boat for 20+ years. If exposed to UV, I might agree. But otherwise, no.
"What ever you do don’t use Spartite unless you never want the mast to come out again. I’ve seen the riggers at Hamble Yacht Services take two days to free a mast glued in with this stuff. They ended up having to drill it out, made a right mess of the mast too.
At one point in the operation the boat was being lifted via the mast and it still didn’t break free. "
in order to use spartite correctly requires that an releasing agent be properly applied to both the the mast and the mast partner, a cofferdam built under the mast to stem the pour and the mast be absolutely centered before the pour. The original polyurethane wedge has lasted 30 years and doesn’t require any of the above. All it takes is to remove the old wedge , buy a chunk of polyurethane , take it to a shop that has water jet/ cnc cabability reproduce the original and drive it home. Adam
some of the freedoms had the bottoms of the mast glued to the “tophat”/base and some did not evidently this was a factory option, if the mast wasn’t glued to the base the joint develops wear starts to work and is the cause of that awful sound, Fortunately there is a very simple, inexpensive and long term solution . Using the hole in the base of the mast where the wires exit the mast and using a small rubber tube and funnel simply run unthickend epoxy onto the top of the top hat to the extent that it fills the gap between the mast and base, this was done to vaimana and lasted for 20 years with 0 movement solid as a rock , No releasing agent was used and when it finally became necessary to remove the mast it popped right off the top hat with very little persuasion. p.s. when you do the pour you will have to take some care it doesn’t run out at the outside of the joint
numbknots wrote:
I used spartite 3yrs ago and although using vaseline I can no longer remove masts. Cutting it loose with hacksaw was beyond my patience threshold. One man on deck and another below pulling while the other is pushing a hacksaw blade back and forth. (with head and sholders squeezed into the anchor locker) I think a new owner can deal with that one. Use vaseline liberaly and if you can fined someting better use that. I lifted the front end of my boat out of the water without the mast budging. Thats what I know about spartite. Numbknots
Been there, seen that, done that! This is my 3rd Spartite’ish job. The first one ended as Numbknots’s did. The second one was due to the yard cutting the ring off when they were painting the mast. Now I’m re-doing it to repair that mistake.
– Geoff
Sounds like Spartite can make a pretty terrible mess if it’s not applied properly! Sorry to hear about your problems with it, Geoff.
On my boat, it’s been a complete success. No movement, no leaks, and no issues unstepping the mast. I honestly don’t really think about it.