Freedom mast removal: help needed!

  • 13 Feb 2023 22:06
    Reply # 13095562 on 13095280
    Anonymous wrote:

    Hi Patrick

    Take photos. A lot of them. Partners, maststep, wedges.. the whole lot.

    I have a salvaged carbon freedom mast that I’ll use in my build. 
    I’m contemplating different options as how to fit the mast, so inspirational info is more then welcome. 
    Cheers, Frederik. 

    I'll do my best, Frederik.
    Just don't know exactly when, but before May, for sure.
  • 13 Feb 2023 17:54
    Reply # 13095280 on 13091920

    Hi Patrick

    Take photos. A lot of them. Partners, maststep, wedges.. the whole lot.

    I have a salvaged carbon freedom mast that I’ll use in my build. 
    I’m contemplating different options as how to fit the mast, so inspirational info is more then welcome. 
    Cheers, Frederik. 

  • 13 Feb 2023 08:04
    Reply # 13094903 on 13091920

    Graeme, Roy, Pete, thank you very much for your answers.
    You have been extremely helpful.

    I will drive to the boat tomorrow and will compare your experience with my situation.

    If not too much stress, I will try and make pictures, for further record.
    Once again, I am so pleased by the spontaneaous and pertinent help of the members of the JRA.

    I can't tell you how grateful I am to be one of yours!

    Patrick


  • 12 Feb 2023 03:32
    Reply # 13094115 on 13091920
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Roy wrote: As the crane was still under load there was no doubt when the mast became free !

    It's a comment worth taking note of.

    A hiab crane with a bit of extension is surprisingly flexible. Under load, it stores a lot of energy (like a bow). I pulled a reluctant  mast from a boat once, using a hiab - the hydraulics pretty powerful, and when it came out it jumped right out of the partners like an arrow from a bow - gave me a bit of a fright and taught me a lesson. If pulling with that sort of crane, if there is a lot of resistance, I would advise pause and investigate why, don't just pile on more power. And take the power off before going below to investigate/release.

    Last modified: 12 Feb 2023 04:22 | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • 12 Feb 2023 00:22
    Reply # 13094031 on 13091920
    Deleted user

    Hello Patrick.

    I too was once the owner of the Freedom 33 that Pete mentioned, and I had the masts lifted out for painting and to attach new fittings at the top for mounting aerials, lights and wind vane, and also to provide a seal against rainwater ingress, to replace the decaying blob of silicone round the emerging cables.

    The engineer in me baulked at the forces the crane would need to exert to drag out the pre-formed wedging rings at the partners, especially as the lifting strop must of necessity be applied to the side of the mast, resulting in all kinds of unintended stresses, crushing forces and bending moments.  I opted to remove the wedge rings beforehand, using a short length (1' / 300mm) of wood (I think mine was beech, probably reclaimed from an old piece of furniture) and a heavy hammer.  Starting at each side of the split in the ring, and hammering from below, it was reasonably awkward, and took quite some effort to make a start.  I had to be careful not to bruise the carbon fibre masts, but a scrap piece of thin ply would help, although that would require an assistant, as both your hands will be needed for the hammer and the wooden drift.

    Once the aluminium deck ring is unbolted it can be tied or taped to the mast a bit higher up, to stop it clanking about during mast lifting, and once the masts are out it can be slid off the mast if needed, say for mast painting.

    During the lift of one of the masts the crane struggled despite having removed the wedge ring, and I found that some filled resin had been used at the foot of the mast to close up a gap between the circular mast and the aluminium base ring it sat in, presumably to prevent the mast "working" and making noise when the sails are exerting loads higher up.  To free this I used a narrow flat bladed screw driver as a chisel, and hammered this in to chip the resin in the gap.  As the crane was still under load there was no doubt when the mast became free !

    On remounting the masts I used butyl tape under the aluminium deck ring and especially round the bolts holding it down, and subsequently re-created the waterproof boot I had inherited.  This a rigid construction made using glass ribbon and resin bonded onto the mast for say 50mm above the aluminium ring, and splaying out over the top edge of the alu ring, and continuing down its outer face for another 50mm or so, or as much as can be achieved without impeding the block-fixing-eyes cast into the lower edge of the ring.  Prior to lifting the masts these rigid boots had to be ground off with careful use of an angle grinder, including taking off some of the material bonded to the mast to allow the deck ring to be lifted.  It's a very neat solution to waterproofing the partners, and both masts gave not a hint of water ingress, either before or after the mast removal.  The attached photo shows the foot of the mizzen mast with the original rigid boot.

    Hope this helps.

    1 file
  • 11 Feb 2023 15:49
    Reply # 13093610 on 13091920

    Well thanks a lot Pete, that sure will help me.

    I was wondering if that aluminium collar had to come off the mast or if it was to remain there.

    Maybe it is glued in place on the mast or on the deck, by some kind of compound that would make it watertight, silicon or Sika, that I would need to replace while I'll be at it?

  • 10 Feb 2023 17:28
    Reply # 13092717 on 13091920

    I used to own a Freedom  33. The procedure on that boat was to unbolt the cast aluminium collar. Under that was a tapered hardish plastic collar ( with a split at one side). This is effectively the wedge that stops the mast moving against the alloy deck collar.. The deck hole is also slightly tapered so the plastic collar should move up with the mast as it it lifted. The bottom of the mast probably has bolt which needs to be removed and, of course, any cables. It's a good idea to photograph the process to remind yourself of the process for restepping the mast.

    I hope that this helps.

  • 09 Feb 2023 22:54
    Message # 13091920

    Hello to all of you,

    I am the proud owner of Paradox of Plym, a Freedom 39 I bought from Brian and Andy Kerslake, a very nice couple.

    I am seeking advice from anyone who can help me, on the procedure to remove the masts and reinstall them.

    Slinging has already been sorted out, by the use of the so called icycle knot.

    What I am not at all sure is what are the preliminary tasks, both for removal and reinstallation.

    I will try to understand the best I can next time I'll be on the boat, but any advice is highly welcome.

    I don't want to discover things I should have done, while the expensive crane is waiting to lift.

    Thanks to you,

    Patrick


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