Anonymous wrote:

If you really can order a bare tube without any cutouts, then you've hit paydirt! Are there any more such tubes available for other JRA members to buy, or is this a one-off opportunity?

Weaverbird, a 23ft heavier, stiffer boat, has a 177mm dia x 3mm wall tapered tube from Nedal for a mast. This 165mm x 3mm tube from Norsk Hydro will be just fine for a 20ft boat.

Yes indeed, I believe they are quite happy to supply without cutouts. Not a one-off. The delivery unfortunately is £150 but It's not the sort of thing you can pop in the back of the car!

I've just had another email saying that Jes Bates used one on Mwera, with some pictures. It looks lovely.

I've also been watching Jes's videos, which are very useful, as Mwera is about the same size as my Minxy.

I could always drive to Bridgend with my boat trailer and pick one up, but Minxy comes out on the 28th so I'll have to make a quick decision!

The only thing that is putting me off is that I don't want to move the mast forward much, because there's a lovely hatch there so I'm hoping with a SJR and balance of 35% it'll be OK. I can't ask Slieve because he's away on holiday I believe.

Anonymous wrote:

This would be perfect - if it didn't have the 600mm cutout. Above and below that, there's plenty of usable length. So the question is: how do you make a strong joining piece? I think I'd try to work something out with a metre length of thick walled 6in tube, suitably padded out to fit into the 165mm tube.  

Thank you David. I found out I can order it without the cutout. I was just a bit worried that it wouldn't be thick enough. I don't really understand why it would need a join, unless you're meaning because of the cutout. I think without the cutout, 8m is high enough with 1200 from the deck down to the base.

I found this aluminium lamp post, available from the depot in Wales for around £500.

Would it be sturdy enough for my 20' Hunter Medina or is it altogether too flimsy?

3.3mm wall thickness and tapered from 1800mm upwards.

If not, how do I work out if something is strong enough? Is it just "suck it and see"?

Thanks.