This question might sound stupid. I have big problems in seperating the mast into two pieces every time after windsurfing. I have make sure that the mask does not stick with sand when I rig. Everytime I have to ask a person to pull and twist the mask with me together..I am thinking of spraying some grease before I derig. Or should i turn anticlockwise or clockwise? Any help would be appreciated.. I am beginner in windsurfing btw

If the mast gets stuck all the time then wrap electrical tape around the join after you have fitted the mast together.

Its part of being a windsurfer.

Make sure all the sand is washed out of the recessed end of the joint and that its dry.

Then every time you rig, make sure that you don't get sand into the recess and make sure the male end of the joint is free of sand too.

The bottom of the mast is also a place that can get jammed. I'm thinking about minimising the amount of sand that gets into the bottom of the mast while I am rigging.

Its just part of the process.

www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Separating-mast-top-from-bottom/?page=1


Turned out I am not the worst... thanks for advice. Will do as said..bit disappointed as this method should be easily be found in Google and YouTube..as a beginner to this sport.this method should publicize everywhere

^^ no it should not get stuck in the first place :)

Hose your mast out really well now, and then every time u sail, tape the join as Mobydisc said

Select to expand quote

Mark _australia said..

Hose your mast out really well now, and then every time u sail, tape the join as Mobydisc said

great advice here........I have been doing this for years and never had a stuck mast since I started taping. It also has a secondary advantage that the mast stays 100% intact when threading in and out of the mast sleeve.

The very best hitch for pulling a mast apart only tapes might be a little kinder than ropes:

I agree with the sage advice above re the need to keep sand out of the join. You say you are doing this, anyhow.

However, at the risk of asking a stupid question: Is the mast top and bottom a matching pair (e.g. same brand, same model and same material)? Having joined your two mast sections together, can you then immediately separate them, or do they bind, regardless?

Since you say you are new to windsurfing, you may think that any top and bottom mast section will fit and work together. Sadly, this is not the case.

You may be able to relieve any binding with an angle grinder light sanding with wet and dry sandpaper.

I managed to get my mast stuck together recently and managed to get it apart after reading a method as posted by a pro on Starboards site. Basically I got two sawhorses and put a towel on each one. Sat on the middle of the mast (not the end), rotated a bit repeat. I then got out a box of washers selected a really thin one sat on the mast and inserted into the edge of the join where it open very slightly. Turned the mast 180, repeat this time with a washer only a fraction thicker. Pulled it apart easy after that. Took only 10 min to fix.

its all part of the socialising aspect of windsurfing. Finish sailing when the wind dies, crack open a beer, start to de-rig slowly, ask one person to help separate the mast, then have 6 guys all jumping up and down on the mast joint yelling "which way are you turning?"

Moby, Mark and AJ are right. Remove (by thorough washing) any sand prior to fit up and tape the joint with electrical tape before inserting in the sail. If you do this, its highly unlikely you'll ever have a stuck joint.

What happened to just putting two boom clamps on either side of the join and turning? Lots of leverage, always worked for me.

Select to expand quote

Mobydisc said..

If the mast gets stuck all the time then wrap electrical tape around the join after you have fitted the mast together.

no no that is wrong..
to de-rig remove actually the tape from the joint first
if the tape is still on , the mast gets stack