Mark Case wrote:However, having reread that section in PJR, they talk about consideration of "pile driving" force.  The moulding is strong, as in it does not visibly flex when I jump up and down on it, but the mast and rig will weigh a fair bit more than my paltry 70 kilos. Would any off our members with more experience be willing to quantify that 'pile driving'? I certainly do not want to be worrying about the mast going through the floor as I go to windward.  Should I be cutting out the internal flooring and taking the mast step support right down to the keel?

Many thanks,

Mark

Most of us secure the masts so that they can't jump up and down.  (David Lewis failed to do this, with disastrous consequences.)  On Fantail, I used two U-bolts and a bottle screw, which I thought was rather an elegant solution.  Assuming the mast is held down and that it is wedged firmly in its partners, there should be no 'pile driving' effect in the way you mean.  In sailing parlance, it's also used to refer to a boat going to windward and getting nowhere, with the boat pitching violently; and I think that's how it's meant in PJR.  A boat being pinched to windward and with no camber in its sail, can be prone to this behaviour in certain types of chop or swell. 

David Tyler wrote:

The conduit itself needs securing, or it will bang about. This is something that I omitted to do before stepping the mast. Now I will have to go halfway up the mast, drill a 5mm hole, spray in a mist of water and then insert the straw of an aerosol of polyurethane foam (water is what cures a one-part polyurethane). Polyurethane is long lasting and will adhere to almost anything. A good big plug of polyurethane foam should fix that pesky conduit.

Thank you for that David.

The cables and/or conduits inside the aluminium alloy masts on Lexia make a frightful noise.  I have been wondering for some time on how to tackle that.  

The prospect of having to lift two large masts to rework the innards does not bear thinking about.  

I had therefore been pondering whether one could drill a hole in the cap on the mast and pour down small balls, presumably something like polystyrene pellets to fill up the mast.  (If the cap was big enough and one made a big enough hole then maybe table tennis balls !)  The repair the hole in the top of the cap.  I would guess that weight and moisture would not be issues.  

However, maybe you have provided me with a more viable alternative.  

I suspect that I would have to inject the foam in more than one place.  However, perhaps I should start with one injection in each mast and see if it stops the noise or not.  If it only reduced it the noise one might then be able to presume that one was on the right lines.  

Would you have any reservations on a me putting a number of 5mm holes?  It might be sensible to stagger them round the circumference rather than in a straight line.  

Does a 5mm hole cause any significant weakness?  I would guess not but would be open to advice from anyone.  I presume that one should try not to make  holes near the deck partners.  I was at one time advised that if after drilling a small hole one filled it with a monel rivet then it was as strong or stronger than before it was drilled.   

All suggestions welcome.

(Maybe this topic should be included in some other thread title as being of more general interest.)  

In 1984, I purchased and completed a Newbridge Virgo Voyager, in kit form.

I used Climaflex Pipe insulation, which came in 1 metre lengths, to reduce noise and general wear and tear of the cables within the aluminum mast.

This was glued together, whilst pushing it along the horizontal mast.

The cables and tubing are still in good condition today.

This central heating pipe insulation is still available, although the name may vary.

http://www.jtmplumbing.co.uk/productimages/17985/0/0

Regards Tim

Pool noodles seem to be fairly long lasting - ours have been stored in a warm and very damp environment for at least eight years, according to the PE teacher, and are showing signs of physical damage from usage, but no general disintegration.  I was already planning on using a conduit, and will have just over five metres unsupported below the topmast.  Perhaps a pool noodle in the upper part and a polystyrene/polyurethane support as far up from the bottom as I can realistically reach to keep movement and noise to a minimum.  David - I remember that you used a Spartite equivalent at both partners and mast foot.  That is on my shopping list for the UK visit, so could I ask where you sourced it, and how much taper you put on the partners to have a reasonable chance of getting the mast out again?

Many thanks,

Mark

My Freedom has hollow carbon fiber masts, much of them 9" diameter, and I had quite a few problems with cables banging around inside making a horrible racket.

The pool noodle sounds like something which worked for me, using pieces of sponge. They were great for a few years, then the material degraded....then it was as if they didn't exist.

I know that pool noodles degrade outside in the sun. I'm not sure how long they would last inside a mast, so try to figure that out somehow before you use them. Stepping a mast and replacing that stuff isn't a cheap or fun job.

If I had the opportunity to install conduit instead while constructing the mast, I would take it!