Mast and spar search...

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  • 08 Jan 2018 18:58
    Reply # 5667552 on 5666450
    Deleted user
    Annie Hill wrote:

    My feeling would be to go for wood, Randy.  You might, but probably won't find a  suitable tree, but building one up from Douglas fir is not difficult and, if you shop round for second hand stuff, not overly expensive.  (Buy beams, rather than floorboards - the latter may have become a bit brittle).  Our member, Pol Bergius, owns a sawmill in Scotland.  It might be worth picking his brains.

    And wood is soooo much more aesthetic than any other material :-)

    Thank you Annie, as I noted to David below, I do have a nice store of Douglas Fir... I think I was looking for a simpler option. But, I do agree, wood would be beautiful.  
  • 08 Jan 2018 18:47
    Reply # 5667538 on 5666066
    Deleted user
    David Webb wrote:

    Hi Randy,

    There are several American flagpole manufacturers who produce what they call hurricane rated ...

    Thank you David, 

    The quote I got on the one site was for hurricane rated. Good thoughts in your overall post. 

    I have access to wood, and in fact have four 5”x12” x26’ beams of clean Douglas Fir. I had looked into making hollow wood masts, my preferred option for strength and are much lighter than solid. It’s just the challenge of making them! And after three year on this project I’d have to wait on pursuing that option... but it would indeed be a nice and attractive option, as Annie Hill rightly points out. 

    I don’t have quite enough wood to make all of my masts, though I know I could find it. Milling 2’ pieces is the challenge. I hand milled one beam using my chainsaw mill and that was very painful!

    Thanks for your thoughts.

  • 08 Jan 2018 18:39
    Reply # 5667507 on 5664821
    Deleted user
    David Tyler wrote:

    Randy, with the very heavy displacement of your trawler in mind, I seriously doubt whether you'll find a tapered tube large enough. What diameters have your sources quoted you?

    Without making any calculations, and off the top of my head, I would think that the main- and foremasts should be more than 10in diameter, more like 12in or 14in diameter, and the only UK source I know that gets anywhere near your requirement is https://www.doremetals.co.uk/aluminium/tube/ - their 12in or 14in diameter tube, leaving you to make a wooden topmast.

    Thanks David, I’ve been given options based on calculations that I could use Wood, Alum, or Steel. I like the idea of the lightness of aluminium, as well as it’s strength. I was told I could use these sizes, based on Alan Boswell’s design. I’d love to share the overall design here, but it seems this archaic Web setup doesn’t allow me to access the editing tools from an iPad, :( ... so I can’t share links/images or files. I’d love to be proven wrong though!  
  • 08 Jan 2018 18:29
    Reply # 5667484 on 5663283
    Deleted user
    Martin Gronow wrote:Could you say a bit more about ALC no longer supplying extrusions? They were happy to when I spoke to them some time ago? Whats changed?
    When I reached out to them in November they said they no longer supply masts. they put me on to their distributor, Marwood Lighting Distributors, www.marwoodelectrical.co.uk. I received a good quote from them (£1600 for three masts, but was told by Alan Boswell, who designed my rig, that they were not sufficient.)
  • 08 Jan 2018 02:40
    Reply # 5666450 on 5662728

    My feeling would be to go for wood, Randy.  You might, but probably won't find a  suitable tree, but building one up from Douglas fir is not difficult and, if you shop round for second hand stuff, not overly expensive.  (Buy beams, rather than floorboards - the latter may have become a bit brittle).  Our member, Pol Bergius, owns a sawmill in Scotland.  It might be worth picking his brains.

    And wood is soooo much more aesthetic than any other material :-)

  • 08 Jan 2018 00:23
    Reply # 5666291 on 5662728

    Hi Randy,

    I can supply a steel mast from New Zealand if you have no luck. Can be shipped in 3.6M lengths and you assemble or complete. The disassembled unit would have relatively reasonable shipping charges.

  • 07 Jan 2018 21:05
    Reply # 5666066 on 5662728

    Hi Randy,

    There are several American flagpole manufacturers who produce what they call hurricane rated flagpoles. These usually have much thicker walls around 6mm or even 8mm, however they mostly only go up to 10 inch diameter and many only go to 50 ft in height. An internet search can usually find these and then they can be contacted individually. The cost from the factory is usually fairly reasonable but transport, customs and import duties can easily double this cost. Also the USA has initiated stringent export requirements for American manufacturers that discourage exporters from dealing with non USA customers. I have had several USA companies refuse to sell me articles because of these export requirements. 

    A search of Alibaba.com will also show several flagpole manufacturers, they will usually provide a more competitive cost than those from the USA, however they are usually more difficult to deal with and to tie down to an actual cost for the product delivered to your home country. They will give you an estimate and then when you place an order the price goes up significantly!!

    Other options are fiberglass, wood and steel poles. Fiberglass is now extensively used for utility poles and light poles as well as flagpoles, so there are multiple options there but they do tend to be more flexible than aluminium or steel and your rig would need to accommodate this. I did not find the fiberglass masts on Arcadian a problem even though they did bend quite a lot when she was sailed hard.

     There are several manufacturers of stainless steel flagpoles that might provide a suitable pole. 

    Ordinary steel may also be an option as custom fabrication in your home country is more readily available so delivery and import costs are kept lower even though the original fabrication cost could be higher. Additional care is needed in finishing to prevent corrosion and ongoing inspection and care is required to forestall any corrosion problems.

    A search of local small sawmills may uncover a local source for solid wood masts. These have been used for centuries and are a proven option, the main problem these days being finding a source for quality logs and getting someone to shape them. Your heavy displacement boat should have no problems with the higher weight of a solid wood or steel mast.

    Plenty of options to consider but be very careful to get all of the contingent costs included as these can double the cost of the section delivered to your door and can often mean that something custom made closer to home may end up being the best option.

    All the best with the search, David.

  • 06 Jan 2018 16:39
    Reply # 5664821 on 5662728

    Randy, with the very heavy displacement of your trawler in mind, I seriously doubt whether you'll find a tapered tube large enough. What diameters have your sources quoted you?

    Without making any calculations, and off the top of my head, I would think that the main- and foremasts should be more than 10in diameter, more like 12in or 14in diameter, and the only UK source I know that gets anywhere near your requirement is https://www.doremetals.co.uk/aluminium/tube/ - their 12in or 14in diameter tube, leaving you to make a wooden topmast.

    Last modified: 06 Jan 2018 16:42 | Anonymous member
  • 05 Jan 2018 14:47
    Reply # 5663283 on 5662728
    Deleted user

    Hi, 


    Could you say a bit more about ALC no longer supplying extrusions? They were happy to when I spoke to them some time ago? Whats changed?



    Many thanks

    Martin

  • 05 Jan 2018 10:58
    Message # 5662728
    Deleted user

    I have been searching around for the best bang for my buck on masts and spars.  The recent JRA article by Simon Foster on making spars using the company ALC was promising, but ALC will no longer supply masts and directed me to a supplier with a small range of options which I have been told are not heavy walled enough to do the job.

    I’ve received quotes from Hawk spars in the UK (£10k without battens) and Tuckwerkstatt in Germany (8600 euro, but need to be welded together-each mast comes in about 4 sections & no booms/yards/battens), the latter offering a better price. But both still seem quite high.

    I found a US supplier and two masts in one 40’ tapered length, and one in one 40’ tapered length + a 20’ straight comes out at $5000usd. That’s a good deal less. These come with 6.5mm walls and anodised to my choice of colour, likely “deep bronze”. Booms & yards seem to work out around $199 each (Hawk Spars averaged at about £300 [$410]) This is a lamp post supplier, lightmart.com

    The problem becomes getting them here, but may still work out better, I’ve not gotten a shipping quote yet. 

    In my search I thought I’d look to see if any European JRA members have had any luck with any suppliers on this side of the pond?

    Three aluminium masts; 35’ mizzen, 53’ main, 45’ fore + 3 booms & 3 yards

    Hawk spars: £10,000

    Tuchwerkstatt: £8000

    Lightmart.com: £4600


    Looks like I’ll be shipping from the US! Anyone else want to share a container?

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