buying mast at the Gorge

alap · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 156

Gorge sailors, I need your advice. Buying mast at the swap, RDM 370 - ballpark, how much will it cost?

and is it risky (in terms of breakage)? Like buying sail is extremely easy decision, you see what are you getting... and with masts, what to look for? Any brand to avoid? Probably NoLimitz is the best brand?

This will be used very infrequently, I have 4.1 Loft and 3.9 Loft and 3.5 Ezzy and three booms but only one mast 370 PowereX. 3.5 conditions in my area are very rare, like once in a few years but when that happens I do not want waste my time reriging. So the performance or weight is not a priority, but the bullet prof construction is.

Any advice on the subject will be very much appreciated.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

At Hood River swaps I've paid from $40 (heavily used but only a year old and from a guy I knew) to half list price (new and warranted) for NoLimits Skinnys. More typical is in between ... used but no visible damage beyond some scuffing and priced in the general range of $250 (really guessing on the prices as I'm not in the market for masts any more.) I have no reservations about buying a used NoLimitz, especially compared to a PowerX RDM.

Ezzy has NoLimitz make his masts to his bend specs, so the normal NoLimitz isn't ideal for his sails, but I've been told that they still work well together.

Mike \m/

kmf · Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 503

Used 370's are hard to find as all new sails now use shorter masts. People snap them up quickly.

kmf

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

The Loft sails may not work with a Nolimitz. I'd bring my sails and rig them on the mast before buying. I have Nolimitz standard & Sumo 400's and took them to Delta Windsur to try a Loft 4 batten freestyle sail in the 5+ range and couldn't get the sail to set properly with any combination of the two masts. On tiny sails it may not be so pronounced a mismatch.

Coachg

alap · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 156

yes guys, I hear you, and thank you for the info

isobars, I have the same feelings about this PowerX 100%; to my defense I bought it locally from the friend for 200 cnd... so taking my chances

coach, I agree with you. I tried my Sumo 400 on this Loft 4.1 yesterday in the backyard, and then this 370 as well. The specs on the sail says recommended mast 400. The 370 was much better.

But with those small sails I am not looking for perfect fit, more for just riding.
In those conditions I will be proud just to complete the jibe (passing the chop downwind will knock me out, if there is a gust it will knock me out for sure). But I have enough skills to completely enjoy the ride on the reach enjoing the same chop...

So the bottom line, NoLimitz or Ezzy or Sailworks (also made by NolImitz ?) are the best bets for me? any other brands to include in this list? Avoid the rest?

If this NoLimitz 370 will be there brand new for 250- or something less in great shape, its great, but if not what would you say for Chinook brand new RDM 60% carbon MSRP 260- Again, it probably won't perform that great as custom made Ezzy RDM... but probably better than my North Infinity pre monofilm 3.6 on 430 Fiberspar 30% carbon with very short boom (and I had several fantastic sessions on it about 8-10 years back, totally riding, not swimming). But what can you say about this 60% RDM durability?

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

alap · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 156

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

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OK, dammit. I'll log off, log back on, and try a sixth time. Thanks a lot, iW.

As of a few years ago, only one mast on the planet was tough enough to shove its tip up its base to form a circle. That was a NoLimitz Skinny (the copyrighted name for their RDM). The next threat is impact damage, and I'm not aware* of any mast with greater impact resistance. The third threat is uv (since we can see the fibers in a Powerex, so can the sun. I've had several PXs fray, then snap, for no apparent reason besides uv exposure.) Whether a used Skinny is more reliable than a new Whatever® depends on whether the former was structurally damaged.

* OTOH, I've not kept track of mast technology, as I expect never to break or buy another mast. That's why I bought a quiver of Skinnys. With any luck, I'll live long enough to break one of them.

Yet another factor is that my sails for >25 years now have been designed in Hood River to perform optimally on a specific mast (a Dynafiber up until 2000, Skinnys since then.) YMMV with other brands of sails and masts, and although you do not need optimal performance, sub-4 sails can be a twitchy PITA on mismatched masts. Fortunately but not universally, most modern sails and masts are now [i]reasonably[/i] compatible.

alap · Joined: 17 Dec 2007 Posts: 156

thank you Isobars.
you reinforced my suspicion - if used then NoLimitz only...