ironmaiden
regular
Reged: 19/08/2005
Posts: 111
Loc: northumberland
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Hi, has anyone out there been using a wooden mast on their boat ? how does it compare to alloy ? I know there would be a lot more maintinance over the years but I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands....cost wise by using galv rigging as well there is a huge difference ( about a 10th of the cost).
So has anyone done that or doing it now.
Regards Rachel 
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Chrusty1
regular
Reged: 27/02/2008
Posts: 847
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If you are prepared to put in the time on the maintenance, go for it, a wooden mast if properly built will serve you well. Galvanised rigging only requires a treatment every 6 months or so, with linseed oil (raw) and petrol, the petrol just carries the oil to the core of the rigging then evaporates off, leaving the oil well penetrated in. There will be a weight penalty I suppose, but that can be an advantage, in that it does help to dampen the roll a bit, but it depends on the type of boat you have?
By the way, the posh yotties on here with there pristine white bits of plastic fantastic, with probably be getting a dose of the shudders at all the above! 
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highandry
regular
Reged: 17/02/2006
Posts: 368
Loc: South Coast UK
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My last boat , a gaffer had a hollow American spruce mast and spars made by a man in Bristol. Originally it was varnished but after 3 years I scraped it back to the wood and used garden furniture oil on it with great success. (all the experts having convulsions now ) My rigging was 8mm 6 strand galvanised, with a rope heart is best as it holds the oil and prevents rust from inside out. I used that because I could splice it round thimbles easily. You can coat the wire rigging to help preserve it. I used a mix of boiled linseed oil, any old clear varnish (not the water soluble type) and black gloss paint. A little drop of white spirit will help if you need to thin it. Paint it on with an old brush and it dries to a hard shiny finish. My rigging was still in good nick after 10 years. Scrape the 'paint' off and the wire was shiny underneath. Painted once a year it survived 2 Med cruises and a Trans Atlantic, and cost about a third of the price of a stainless rig. If you don't mind me suggesting? Give the yachtie shops a wide berth, I bought my wire in a 100 metre roll from a commercial cargo handling company with heart thimbles and bottle screws at the same time.
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highandry
regular
Reged: 17/02/2006
Posts: 368
Loc: South Coast UK
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 Your post was first!! It's you winding the posh yachties up, not me, I am obviously being led astray. 
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Chrusty1
regular
Reged: 27/02/2008
Posts: 847
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Quote:
Your post was first!! It's you winding the posh yachties up, not me, I am obviously being led astray.
Naaaaa-na.....na-na-na!!!..........Lurved the black goo idea! 
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roly_voya
regular
Reged: 05/02/2004
Posts: 1049
Loc: Pembrokeshire Wales
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Hollow masts are good but expensive (unless you make you own) the real saving is a solid mast - 1 tree, 1 chain saw, 1 adze + 1 mast. I watched a friend make one for 40 morcombe bay prawner, most expensive part of the job was getting it transported from the forest!!. Mantainance was a anual coat of creasote. You doo ALWAYS need to check the design as solid masts are significantly heavier then alloy so can adversly effect stability. With a hollow mast you need to know what the max wt should be and build it under that. As far as the galvanised rigging goes no reason you can't use it on alloy or wooden masts. The only advantage S/S has is cosmentic and Clean because it doen't need treating.
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Englander
regular
Reged: 07/09/2001
Posts: 15311
Loc: Barcelona/Bollyolics
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Wooden masts are the way to go, look lovely and dont need as much maintenance as some would have you believe, the above posts are very good advice, especially the rope cored idea. We use galvanised wire out here in the northsea, it gets well used, you can buy it already impregnated with a very thick grease type stuff, which doesnt crack, but protects the wire from rust etc, would be excellent for rigging, I second the advice, dont go near "yacht riggers" for your wire, go to an industrial supplier, even for stainless.
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SeaVenture
regular
Reged: 04/01/2007
Posts: 83
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We checked the 30-year-old spruce masts on our ketch a few years ago. Due to a small crack in one side, we took a section out and scarfed in new wood. The rest of the 65-foot hollow main mast was pristine as was the entire mizzen. There were holes all up the length for mast steps with six screw holes per step. The water intrusion issue was of great concern. All holes are now filled, the masts repainted, and all is well.
A dock neighbor who also owns a Force 50 decided he wanted to get rid of his wooden masts and replaced them with alloy masts from a Beneteau and some smaller boat. As he cut up the old wooden masts for recycling, he--and all the curious dock watchers--were amazed to discover that the spruce throughout was absolutely gorgeous. He regretted destroying all that perfectly maintained wood, but a neighbor gleefully walked off with yards of project material for his Tayana.
Rebuilding wooden masts and booms is not all that difficult as we have completely rebuilt both booms.
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