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Mini-cup Mast


P Doug (WA)

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I'm getting to the point in my build that I need to consider what to do got the mast. I've priced aluminum tubing and for the three pieces I would need it looks like it would cost me $300+. That is just not in the budget for this little ship. I would like to try my had at building a wood, birdsmouth (is that correct?) mast. Not sure what would be a good wood to use. Or would a solid mast be better for one that small? I will be around 2"+ in diameter, 16' long. Found some nice looking mahogany on Craigslist. 2 x 6 in lengths up to 22 ft. Is that wood too heavy for this small of a boat?

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Hmmmm. I'd keep checking.We just found tubes for our rigs in San Francisco (Bayshore Metals) for just over $300 for TWO rigs! I'd look around, as I had forgotten just how light that rig is! I have one, and a Vector, tied on top of the car right now, as Peter and I are driving out to Texas and I'm taking his Vector out for him. The rig really surprised me when I was tying on the car: It's LIGHT.

I know a friend of ours is headed to Bayshore next week to get tubes, as far as I know, and I'll be getting some more in Spring for a Mini-Cup. I'll keep everyone posted on prices.

It's too bad they're hard to ship: I'd be up for selling tubes along with the new hardware kits, but shipping tubes probably costs what the tubes do!

Mike

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Just got done glueing up a birdsmouth mast for my 12' Knot Yacht. I had to replace the thin walled aluminum flagpole that gave up the ghost on the florida 120. I tried to find an aluminum solution but the price was just so high. This is the second birdsmouth mast I have made though I still will need to plan eb it round. Birdsmouth masts, if built correctly, are both lighter and stronger than a solid mast. Also, you can use inexpensive 1x pine for our sized boats. I would not use.mahogony as it weighs too much. A few tips. First, I like using a table saw to make the staves. Second, I make a cradle to put the mast together in by having a 1x backbone and make half round cutoffs the diameter of the rough mast in scrap wood and mount them vertically on the backbone. Third, I like off-center birdsmouths with the shorter side on the outside of the mast leaving more material on the inside. I accomplished this by making regular staves out of 1x and then shaving off 1/4 inch on one side leaving 1/2 inch staves. Lightens up the mast as well. Good luck!

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I know of a number of MiniCups built with wooden spars. The mast is actually pretty short - it's the gaff that is the long one. Depending on how you want to balance looks vs ease and getting out on the water, there's no reason why you need round spars for the gaff and boom. I'd suggest rounding off at least the base of the mast so that it will rotate in the mast box. I believe the instructions also suggest you could use PVC pipe if you stiffen it by shoving in some wood to stiffen it.

Just sayin ....

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Ken, thanks, I just finished reading that yesterday afternoon. The woodworker in me really wants to try making one. Maybe I start out simple and them make one after I figure out how to sail.

I know of a number of MiniCups built with wooden spars. The mast is actually pretty short - it's the gaff that is the long one. Depending on how you want to balance looks vs ease and getting out on the water, there's no reason why you need round spars for the gaff and boom. I'd suggest rounding off at least the base of the mast so that it will rotate in the mast box. I believe the instructions also suggest you could use PVC pipe if you stiffen it by shoving in some wood to stiffen it.

Just sayin ....

I've been eyeballing my irrigation hand-lines. They are aluminum and with some wood reinforcement in one it would probably work. I got to measure one. I had originally thought that is what I would use, but even those are expensive now. Maybe I will just have to shorten my field I water.

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On the Vector rigs we just did, which are entirely equivalent to the Mini-Cup's and came from earlier boat projects, we actually went to a shorter 10' mast so we could use one of the 20' pieces cut in half for two masts.

As Andrew notes, the Gaff is the tough part. I would NOT splice two pieces, but that said, we're going to try it this Spring. I know we broke attempts in the '70's, so we've avoided spliced gaffs since then. But...It'd be nice to find a way to deal with shorter tubes. Certainly longer than 2' for the joiner...I guess we'll find out in Spring!

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