Alright - mast question for the subject matter experts - especially Arne but anyone else with build experience.
As part of my conversion of a C&C 25 I've been hunting for a mast.
Two masts: One 32' the other 36' have been found. I only need 31 feet.
They are aluminum extrusions. Both formerly from Nonsuch's.
Both are sleeved.
32' thickness tapers from 7mm to 5m
36' thickness tapers from 5mm to 4mm
The challenges:
One extrusion has had holes tapped into it for a sail track. Does this pose a structural issue?
The other - where the top and bottom sections meet has a bolt that protrudes. I could ... in theory ensure that the bolt that protrudes has its profile reduced, and that a small fairing be glassed over it to ensure that the parrels or battens slide over it. As it is - there's a real risk of it snagging either or both.
These are the best two candidates to come along in over a year's search. Everyone seems to be squirreling away their lamp posts. OR in the case of the Southern Ontario aluminum extrusion industry, they will not produce extrusions unless you are ordering in batches of 10,000.
And before the suggestions flow about a wooden mast, that option is my very very last resort as I'm fully aware of my limits as a carpenter.