Yay new member.
I'm returning to windsurfing with my now v.v. old board to teach my sons how to sail and windsurf. I have a 25foot trailer sailer and they have had a go at steering and helping with the ropes etc etc but I just bought an old sailing dinghy (mirror circa 73) for them. I'm reglassing the seams and hull and getting it in working order. During the process of the restoration my eldest son nagged me to let him play on my old Hifly as a SUP or as a windsurfer. I was a bit of a nay sayer because he is younger than I was when i learnt to windsurf. I was 12ish from memory and it was on an old tanker Hifly. Hell it was so big it made the 700cs look positively Formula 1..... Anyway it got me to thinking and I figure he is bigger than I was and is also stronger than I was, cool let's get the board going.
The original sail has delaminated in the bag, no surprises there. It hasn't been used for 5 years. I still have an old beginner/storm sail which is in good enough shape. The fin box was broken and we have repaired that with a homemade alloy one (YAY)! I have pulled all the rig apart and replaced old ropes uphaul etc
BUT I have 1 weak link left, as the title says it's the mast foot uni joint. It's perished a bit but still feels very strong. I took the foot out of the mast base today and the mast end has a thread and nut with the exposed thread welded so it can't come undone. Mmmm nobody heard of locktite in the 80's???The board end of the joint has a pin with a groove that is locked in place by the boards female socket.
I'm wondering/hoping that there is a metal uni joint inside the rubber? If so then I can just leave it alone as the metal would be ok?
What I'm guessing though is that the only thing holding the mast to the board is a piece of perished rubber... I've had a bit of a search and look around the web and it is patently clear the sport has come a huge way technically now SO how do I go about finding a joint that will fit my vintage outfit?
Yay, new member #2
I have just been through this same dilema with a friends wayler/tyronsea uni joint.
It seems to be a very similar system with just the rubber holding the mast to the board, except this one was so brittle, I could break of small pieces with my hands!
We broke it down to component level and found that there was a female thread at one end of the rubber Hourglass, and a male at the other,both moulded into the rubber.
But curiosity proved that these threads are the same that modern bases use, and have found a replacement part at a well known sunshine coast shop.
If you are lucky you might find the same goes with your uni.
I suspect you may get a much more experience backed answer from others here, but in the unlikely case that you don't, I suggest sacrificing your uni for explorative research.
I would be uneasy sailing with a degraded uni, for safety reasons anyway.
Good luck.
