Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You have now done many miles in Footprints, David, and the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  A salient point could be that you use webbing for the parrels: correct me if I'm wrong.

H

Certainly there has been no wear on the starboard side of the mast as a result of the batten parrels. Any wear is on the port side and is a result of rubbing from the battens, despite the foam cushioning on the batten pockets. We were on the port tack the whole way to, and back from New Cal, so there were a lot of sea miles on the port tack.

There is also the option not to cover a timber mast in Fiberglass. The mast on 'Footprints' is painted only,and is now 20 years old, and is in good condition. Yes there are some bare patches of timber from time to time before I get around to re-coating them, but any moisture in the timber dries out. A couple of years ago I did have a conversation with a very experienced professional wooden boat builder friend of mine and his view was that by sheathing a mast in fiberglass the risk of rot is significantly increased in the event that moisture is able to get in behind the sheathing, such as through a chafe area.

If a varnish-like, or natural finish is desired on a timber mast I would use one of the new exterior acrylic oil coatings. I have been using what is described as an outdoor furniture acrylic oil on my outside furniture, and the side of my hot tub, for the past couple of years. It dries hard with a an opaque finish which highlights the timber underneath. And it is very easy to re coat from time to time. I have not yet figured out how 'acrylic' and 'oil' go together in the same product, but it works very well.

I have had good success with wooden masts, by coating them with one layer of woven rovings ('boat cloth') and epoxy, then filling in the weave with epoxy slightly thickened with colloidal silica.  Sand the mast and then apply as many coats of two-part polyurethane paint as is necessary to build to a solid colour - usually four.

I've have also finished three masts clear, coated with cloth and epoxy (without the silica - you need an extra coat) and using International Crystal to varnish them.  An absolute minimum of six coats should be applied.

International Perfection paint spreads beautifully; indeed most polyurethanes can be satisfactorily hand painted onto a mast.  I often finish with clear two-part polyurethane that is guaranteed to have UV inhibitors - the gloss seems to last longer than paint, although this might simply be my impression. 

Varnished spars look lovely and yes, the varnish will discolour if water gets underneath.  However, if you've done your job properly, water won't get underneath.  Chafe will attack the best of paints, and, as you've discovered, glass and epoxy, too.  If I were you, I'd be concentrating on eliminating the chafe.  If there's no chafe and plenty of coatings, you should get away with repainting/revarnishing the mast only every 5 years or so, although I'd always repair any damage, myself, as soon as it becomes apparent.

I'm using Carboline products (can't afford Perfection and the range of colours is too limited): I used this for the aqua paint on Fantail and it still appears to be holding up on the topmast, although I haven't seen the boat for six months.  I made the mast 8 years ago.

I agree that a clear finish will show up water ingress long before it becomes a serious rot problem.  The price you pay is that the UV resistance is poorer than painted finishes, even with UV resistant epoxy.  I have been told, but have no direct experience, that putting a UV resistant varnish over the epoxy helps.  The varnish will begin to break down first and can just be sanded and recoated.  As for the chafed patches, can you patch them, or do you need to strip the mast back to bare wood?  The advantage of using epoxy is that it adheres well and is much more successfully patched than polyester resin.  I am assuming you used epoxy?

I am still in Mooloolaba.  I had intended to come to Moreton Bay earlier but was too ill.  Then I recovered around Easter and decided to head north.  But, after slipping in early May, I had a major engine problem.  The engine is just back in now and I am waiting to fit water temperature and oil pressure alarms.  I've now decided that it is too cold to head north, which involves some night sailing on this slow boat.  So I am hoping to come down to Moreton Bay after all for a while, then start heading north later when it warms up.  I might spend the summer around the Keppel Islands before continuing back to FNQ next April.  So, if I can stand the cold at anchor, (I intend initially to go to Scarborough Marina) I hope to make it down to Southport and perhaps we can catch up?  Of course, I can always go into one of the Gold Coast marinas and plug in my fan heater if I am too cold!