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Hi All, A year or so ago I asked for advice with stepping my main mast on my CS. Terry and Suzie K were the only ones to answer.Since then I built one but haven't been able to use it yet--still waiting for summer to come here in Alaska. As I prepare to install it on my boat I wonder what keeps the mast from slipping right on through the pipe joint. The picture of Terry lifting it looks simple but I got to thinking as I built mine how does the mast stays in as I rotate the mast and then drop it into the step? Any help on this? Oh yeah, I moved my main to the middle step as designed by Graham and have added a small jib with boom so it is self tacking. I have attached a copy of the assist device that Suzie made. Mine is similar to the photo. I also attached a photo of the assist that Terry used. I am almost ready to sail....summer is coming. Bob ClaytonCS hull 199 First AttemptEagle River, Alaska

makenmend - with doug fir you should have reduced the scantlings. Opinions vary but one should be able to reduce stave thickness by 15% to 20% with fir since it is stiffer.

Hi Ralf, Did you make your hollow masts by the birdsmouth method or by some other way? I will start building my coresound 17 soon and was wondering which way to go, either hollow wooden birdsmouth or aluminium. What has everybody else done, wooden or aluminium spars? Regards, Alex.

I took a different approach to making it easier to step the forward mast in the mast tube by installing a mast tube that extends about 4 inches above the fordeck with the aft 1/2 cut away from top of the tube to the deck (see attached photo). From the cockpit I insert the mast base in the above deck part of the tube & simply walk it forward until it slips down into the tube. Its much easier stepping, but un-stepping still is problematic, so I added a 1/2 sphere to the base of the mast to help hold the mast base in the above deck part of the tube. My fordeck also has non-slip added to the varnish so I don't slip. Splash water also stays out of the mast tube (although the tube bottom has a drain through the foreward compartment into the cockpit . I still plan to replace my heavy 21 lb. aluminum masts with carbon fiber ones. Does anyone know which New England carbon fiber mast fabricator has already engineered them for a CS 17 with regular 4 oz. dacron sail cloth? Both my masts are about 1 ft. longer that the plans specify. CS 17 # 307 OSPREY sailing on Nantucket & Pamlico Sounds.

If you aimed a leaf blower anywhere in my garage you would be instantly buried in a cloud of dust = cedar, Okoumi, and a dash of epoxy. Everything is coated with sanding dust. My go-to sander has a dust bag but it isn't very efficient. So I( got a small Shop Vac with a 4' hose, added another 8' of hose, and rigged it up to the sander. Test time tonight: Okay, more electric cords to dodge, and it is a slightly more clumsy to handle, but I sanded, and sanded. The air was clear. The sander itself was still clean, not coated with dust as usual. I was clean! I ran my hand over the sanded surface and did pick up dust, but not much. The new me - dragging an 1 1/4" hose attached to a Vacuum along with the DeWalt sander, well worth the annoyance of cords and hose . . .

I forgot to add a picture of Terry Dunn using his mast assist device in my post above. Maybe Terry will read this and help me out. I just don't see how the mast stays in place as you lift it to place it in step. Anyway, thanks in advance for any thoughts. Bob