Former Addict, Now a Noob: Mast Question

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I've seen MANY masts break in the Gorge ... heck, even in ordinary inland lakes ... including my own pampered SDMs. The last one I broke had only 1200 meters on its odometer when it snapped on its first jibe brand spanking new. Clamp too tight? Defect? Who knows? The key word is not operator error; it's "last one". Cost? A $400 mast (a decade ago), an equally new 7.5 Retro (derigged sails sink like bricks), and a 1200 meter swim.

Joe's new SDM snapped in its first waterstart, a thousand miles from a dealer.

One beefy guy went through his SDM below the boom. Took out a section with his shoulders, like in cartoons, on that same lake.

But Tom's Skinny? 18 years and counting, and he sails serious OR coast surf often.

Whether it's a frivolous expense or simply good insurance is the buyer's call. I get flu shots, I buy liability insurance, and I wouldn't sail an SDM (i.e., any thin-walled mast) in winter weather, in surf, in offshore winds, on any big lake with poor rescue odds, at Crissy Field, in general anyplace I'm not willing -- hell, eager -- to swim back from.

I hope those exposed hillbilly wingnuts are for photo purposes only (that looks like a door, so there's little doubt). Smile

I've used kiteboard footstraps for many years on WS boards. They're exceptionally comfortable and tapered so they're wide where it helps and narrow where that helps.

cgoudie1 · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 12:37 pm Post subject:

I dig the wing nuts!

-Craig

[quote="deminimis"]Of course, you could always go full-on hillbilly:

deminimis · Joined: 30 Sep 2014 Posts: 13

And the re-purposed carpet. Yea, that shouldn't smell like a dead cow carcass lying next to Mex 1 for at least a couple of outings.

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

You should choose a mast based on your sail's requirements, bottom line. John's point on mast durability is absolutely spot on. There is no doubt that RDM's are stronger than SDM's, the doubt is in how fragile SDM's are and that is strictly up to the imagination of the user. A well made, well maintained SDM is an absolutely good investment other than in the impact zone. I have two SDM's that are 12 years old and on that is 10 that are used on my larger sails which means winter, off shore, open ocean & large lake sailing over the years.

On a side note the last two masts to break on me, RDM's. 370 & a 400 that wasn't even a year old. At ABK this year we had a run where RDM's were popping like bottle tops. The culprit? Probably the sun. Will that scare me away from RDMs? Nope. My small sails till require them so I continue to purchase them but I also sail my SDM's with absolute confidence as I'm sure many other people do.

Coachg