I always use to hate when I would insert my mast in the sail sleeve and then find the mast slowly separating inside the sail sleeve when rigging. I now insert the top selection first and then the bottom section. Then wrap a piece of painter's tape around where the 2 piece mast connects accessing it in the boom cutout area in the sail then I finish pushing the mast through the sail sleeve. Seems to hold the 2 piece mast together better while I rig. No separation in the mast anymore. What do you guys do to keep the 2 piece mast from separating? Or do you not do anything?

You should *always* use tape... sand isn't your friend. Unless you like 1-piece masts.

electrical tape wrapped around the join several times before sliding the mast up the luff tube.

I get nervous about this too. My mate uses tape, but then he washes all his gear after sailing and puts everything it its correct bag. Maybe I should follow his lead. I double a triple check that the mast is together properly. Once the mast is in place I hold either side of the join and twist. I should put a mark on the luff where the join is so I can have a feel and satisfy myself its all good.

Interesting to know that others use tape as well. Never thought about the tape serving another purpose too, as keeping the sand out where the 2 masts join together. Been so long since I rigged on sand. I'm always rigging on grass by the lake here.

It's not just where you rig, there's nothing like a shore break to fill everything with sand.
I only have 2, 2 piece masts, but when I do use them, they are taped with one layer of gaffer tape, seems to hold them together well.

Six months ago , 600km from home I stuck the most expensive mast in the world ( North platinum 460 ) , it was one grain of sand.
Luckily I had my wife and a dog loving couple to help me.

Otherwise it would have been the most expensive one piece mast ever !
I don't do tape,
But I do flush the top half of mast , anially , one bastard grain of sand will weld plastic and carbon
Atfer the third time of. Mast base stickage it's a no brainer.
Ps , as to your original question,
Sorry vodka,
3 rules to rigging,
when u go the second shove , look for the separation ,
2, make sure the top is in,
3 , make sure the top is in and there is no separation ,
Heuston , we're ready to go , even with cams

have u bin drinkin agin ??

anially sounds like anally
you better tape that up !!

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joe windsurf said..
have u bin drinkin agin ??

anially sounds like anally
you better tape that up !!

Yes , yes I have , I'm Aussiestralian , can't help it.

just insert your lower mast into a clean upper mast and your windsurfing session will be unreal!

Doing the obvious tape thing is the logical , mechanical , obvious thing,
Its smart ,
Its obvious,
Do it !
But if your mid life , living on the edge,
And want to live on the edge,
One grain , I dare u

Seriously guys just tape the Twp piece together, stops you pinching the sail if not together, stuffing up rigging of sail as gap means not nuff downhaul, and sanding the fock out of your mast which means it won't come apart when or if u come in!! 10 seconds to tape sounds like a no brainer to me!!!

I make sure the male and female parts are clean, fit together and electrical tape the joint - job done - no problems

OK ,I'll try it, never too young to try,
But I like being a old whinging fart ........"...................
Back in Nam we fixed it with fencing wire an spit !
Whats wrong with looking after your gear and cleaning ya **** !
I know , I'm I trouble ,
,
Does that help ?

My 400 separates like that when rigging.
I don't usually sail in a sandy environment but I've taken to taping it to stop the separation.

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NotWal said..
My 400 separates like that when rigging.
I don't usually sail in a sandy environment but I've taken to taping it to stop the separation.

Sandy envionment ? Do u sail in your your bathtub ?

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John340 said..
I make sure the male and female parts are clean, fit together and electrical tape the joint - job done - no problems

I didn't do the first step once and got a terrible infection.

I always tape my mast, for fear of breakage, not sand.
My favourite is Bear cloth tape, it's non stretch and easy to tear by hand

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Agrid said..
I get nervous about this too. My mate uses tape, but then he washes all his gear after sailing and puts everything it its correct bag. Maybe I should follow his lead. I double a triple check that the mast is together properly. Once the mast is in place I hold either side of the join and twist. I should put a mark on the luff where the join is so I can have a feel and satisfy myself its all good.

Had my Ezzy mast halves stuck together a number of times but have also noticed rigging my sails many times only to find that the top and bottom sections had separated at the join by approx 5-10mm after sliding the mast up the luff pocket. Since doing the same as Agrid have not had stuck halves or mismatch at the join, as long as the area in and around the join is clean and devoid of any sand or dirt.

After pushing the mast up the luff sleeve and before putting the mast extension in, I hold firmly onto the luff sleeve/mast top section above the join and rotate/push the mast bottom section at the boom cutout until I can feel the two halves are together, which I now always check at the join before continuing with rigging.

I found that tape left gum on the mast and crap would stick to the gum. So I used a 3cm cut off section of an old MTB bike inner tube. I just leave it on the mast permanently and just slide it over the joint. Its grippy enough to hold it together and stop sand getting in. I only do this on one mast, all my other masts don't separate.

Electric tape, 1 layer round the joint. It leaves no sticky residue. A no brainer

it
comes
in
black.

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forceten said..
Electric tape, 1 layer round the joint. It leaves no sticky residue. A no brainer

it
comes
in
black.

I steer clear of black, my old eyes can't find the end of it to take it off

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Mark _australia said..

John340 said..
I make sure the male and female parts are clean, fit together and electrical tape the joint - job done - no problems

I didn't do the first step once and got a terrible infection.

Only once!

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Orange Whip said..

forceten said..
Electric tape, 1 layer round the joint. It leaves no sticky residue. A no brainer

it
comes
in
black.

I steer clear of black, my old eyes can't find the end of it to take it off

You can fold over the last bit of the tape so its obvious where it ends. It never unpeels by itself, and having this 'tab' makes it easy to unpeel it when you are done.

I have a mate that re-uses the same bit of tape as long as he can, but its electrical tape. You get 50 metres for a few dollars, which is a lot less than the masts cost me.

Worst mast problem I had was in Sandy Point as the rigging area was on sand. Mast separated afterwards, but even with tape it had some sand stuck in there. The extension on the other hand was locked solid to the lower part of the mast.

sand ?
you dudes have it easy
what about water ?
water ???
yes, water
when I sail in the winter on ice n snow, humidity can get in the "joints"
mast and extension
stick mast in van beside heater until ice is melted :-)

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Imax1 said..

NotWal said..
My 400 separates like that when rigging.
I don't usually sail in a sandy environment but I've taken to taping it to stop the separation.

Sandy envionment ? Do u sail in your your bathtub ?

No, do you?

Good to know about that ice too. We have snow here now, so I been on my windski the last 2 days.

Two turns of electrical tape is perfect. The mast halves stay together and nothing gets. I can un-tape a mast after sailing 100ks in an afternoon and find it still dry at the ferrule.

Tape mast halves should be the first thing people learn about windsurfing. It's so fundamental that if you don't do it and then suffer from mast separation of stuck pieces you should be considered an idiot.

Duct tape. Mast can be a bit tacky when removed so keep off sand and dirt.

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Shifu said..
Two turns of electrical tape is perfect. The mast halves stay together and nothing gets. I can un-tape a mast after sailing 100ks in an afternoon and find it still dry at the ferrule.

Tape mast halves should be the first thing people learn about windsurfing. It's so fundamental that if you don't do it and then suffer from mast separation of stuck pieces you should be considered an idiot.

This idiot has windsurfed for 33 years without once taping a mast. Maybe I got a mast stuck once, 15 years ago! for 10 minutes. Otherwise I've been lucky, (or smart to keep the mast out of the sand). Just thought I would mention that it's not windsurfing 101, and not everyone does it.