Hi,

Any new ideas out there to help me get my mast apart would be greatly appreciated.

I've got my mast stuck together a few times but usually a bit of man power combined with some mild bending gets it apart. Not this time.

So far I've had 6 blokes trying to twist it off, i've whacked it with a rubber mallet, put washing up liquid through it, tried two booms to twist it off, I've even sworn at it repeatadly, but nothing will get it apart.

Has anybody got any words of wisdom that might be able to help me out?

Thanks

Go to bunnings and get all the required parts to connect a water tap to the top of your mast.

Take the top bung out of the mast, connect the hose, turn the tap on, bend and bump the mast in multiple directions until it goes POP and your mast is apart.

If it's really stuck then it will be a 2 beer job.

Alternatives include using a towball, a tree and an icicle hitch.


Now go to bunnings and buy some electrical tape, and every time you sail, wrap some tape around the join. This will stop sand getting in and you won't have a stuck mast ever again

maybe keep using it as a one piece and one day you may find the sand or whatever's in there will work its way out.... maybe..

Thanks for the idea, I'll give that a go! What do you suggest I need to attach the tap? Will a hose do instead with a heap of duct tape?

2 beer job? Am i being stupid? What does this mean?

Thanks

I would keep using as a one piece but it makes my car look like a tank goin gdown the freeway so could do with getting it apart

Get 2 booms, clamp one on the top of the mast just above the join tight (but not so tight that you crack your mast) and one on the bottom half just below the join then get a mate and twist them in opposite directions, i've got masts apart that have been rigged for over 8 months in the centres in europe like this when no other way would work.

Hacksaw?

I know it has been posted before but .....

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Dman said...

Thanks for the idea, I'll give that a go! What do you suggest I need to attach the tap? Will a hose do instead with a heap of duct tape?

Duct tape won't work unfortunately.

You need to get some PVC hose that is just able to be jammed onto the top of the mast, with a hose clamp around that as well to keep it from popping off.

Then you need to get some hose adapters to get from that diameter hose to normal garden hose. Go to bunnings and see what you can figure out.

I don't have mine anymore or I'd take a photo.

Anyone need a flag pole?

WD40 tends to work... sometimes....

But the best and quickest way is using to booms...

Try using rubber dish washing gloves wrapped around the mast. They give much better grip and increase the diameter of the mast to give a bit more torque.

Get two reasonably brawny guys to twist and pull the mast and it should come free without too much effort. Lots and lots of force should not be necessary. It's more important to get a good grip and to apply a moderate force at the right place.

Don't try the tow ball thing. All those brute force things never work and you can end up breaking something.

piss on it

just tie it on the roof Its now a single peice mast!

Steve Hooker could have used it in Delhi for the pole vault

Find two mates, Locate something like the size of one of those small pine rails they have at parks, get a pot of boiling water. Place the joint over the log, and press down on each end, stretching the joint just like a sail bend would. At same time poor hot water onto the joint and slowly role the mast from side to side while keeping the pressure on the joint, it will come apart, just keep at it.
Regards 'Mineral

Park bench.

Put one end on bench and other on ground. bend the mast at the joint and roll back and forward for a bit. This tends to loosen the bound up sand and grit. Next step is pull like hell, use a lot of bad lanuage and yell at it.

If you have a couple of people to help, roll and pull at the same time.

Other method is hold one end and wobble the whole mast real hard . This flexes the joint so it opens a little so the sand works its well out.

Resign yourself to it being stuck in that position

re-rig the sail and go back out for another sail hoping the salt water will free it up whilst you are out

repeat if necessary

Thanks for all suggestions. I've set aside tonight to try get it apart. I sailed with it the other day but still stuck. I've bought 6 beers, some wd40, washing up liquid, got two booms, a hose adaptor and learned some new swear words. Wish me luck!

Good luck

Remember to take the bung out of the top of the mast before trying this trick


Oh, forgot to mention, the hose goes on the end that doesn't have the ferrule. With most masts this means put it on the top.

On powerex/Ezzy skinnies this means put it on the bottom...

Can we get one of these many threads and make it a sticky (no pun intended)

Heating the middle up over a fire?

Seriously my two piece mast recently became one. A fellow twisted the pieces apart. I read that a bloke in Perth can seperate and conjoined mast.

The sight of a couple of people playing tug of war with a mast is irresistable to most windsurfers

I haven't seen a mast yet that won't succumb to three guys on each end...

It's important to establish the direction of rotation before you all go for it though!

I've always found that Reg's technique of putting a mast base into the mast, putting the mast on the ground (often with a piece of wood underneath), then hold a piece of wood against the mast base, put your foot on the mast and give the wood at the end a nice very hard whack with a mallet works every time.

It might take a few whacks, but the top always ends up separating and you are good to go.

Nice and quick and easy. I keep a little gimpy mallet in the 4WD just for the job (and to bang in tent pegs!).

-Mart

Still stuck.

What did you try?

I have seperated many times as shown in bundybears video clip. I guess there is a risk of damage, but its very quick and easy, and so far worked everytime for me.

How has Bundybear managed to get the rope to stay on the mast so he can pull it off with the car?

Thanks

I just use a roof rack strap and lots of hitches on, and just keep on wrapping around the mast. They all tighten and bunch togeather and it shouldn't slip off.Do that on both ends, and wrap around lots of times. I am sure there are some better knots some sailors may know, but this works. Can also put something soft down on the floor, and up against your car end of the mast as it can spring back pretty hard. No garuntees this won't wreck your mast, car, strap or post. I have done it lots of times when noone around to help. Had one old roof strap snap once. Thats the forces involved in this brute force method. probably not ideal for your mast.

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Dman said...

How has Bundybear managed to get the rope to stay on the mast so he can pull it off with the car?

Thanks

As per Nebbian's post - Icicle Hitch

Wow you guys go to so much trouble, just hold the mast up by the very bottom, like a big A** baseball bat and belt the ground with the tip, do it about 10 times and turn between each belt as it bounces back up, then 1 person on each end and twist, works every time..