A Cape Cutter 19 with one of our mast and spar sets.
I have just been asked about why we have quoted a certain price for a set of mast spars,knowing what everything else costs in the marine trade I think it time to post this artical I did some years back,it was published by Duckworth Magazine,try the webb address below.Folk need to understand the complex processes involved,be it in making sails or masts,alloy or wood,they dont make themselves and they dont come cheap.
This is an extract from the Duckworths publication:
From time to time we are asked make masts, spinnker poles and the like. Our largest spar set to date was for an Italian Schooner that hit trouble when en route to Cape Town along Africas East Coast. The yacht was some 70 feet long and in a heavy Carvel Planked timber construction, so quite a large boat.
The Main mast (aft on a schooner) was all of eighteen meters long. The Fore Mast was fourteen and a half meters long. Both of these masts were quite new and the Oregon Pine (Douglas fir) timber and workmanship used to make them was very much top draw. It’s a pity both broke in some heavy weather when voyaging from Mombassa, Kenya, to Durban, then on to Cape Town, South Africa.
As mentioned the timber and labour to construct with was the best but they used the wrong glue. How can this be? Well, glues come in various types; waterproof may be just that but when its not suitable for boiling it may and most probably will fail under severe heat.The name WBP in a glue stands for ‘Waterproof & Boil Proof’, WP stands for ‘Water Proof’ only. Now we know we are never going to actually Boil our timbers
Read the Duckworth Magazine for the rest.
Roy
www.duckworksmagazine.com/06/howto/birdsmouth/index.htm
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