Tiki 21 Mast

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Anonymous (not verified)
Tiki 21 Mast
Having been in the water for over a year, I've bought my T21 home for a tidy up. Yesterday I took down the mast and today recovered the boat. Whilst lifting my very heavy wooden mast onto the roof of the car I decided that it was perhaps time to look again at a metal mast to save some weight aloft. Can anyone tell me how thick the tubing needs to be and provide any advice on where I can source it in the UK? Just out of interest really has anyone spun their own carbon mast? Whats involved and is it expensive? Thanks in advance Simon "Tiki Sunrise"
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Hi Simon, My aluminium mast dimensions are 101.6mm x 3.2mm wall thickness.The weight for 6.4 meters is about 18 kilos.When I was building My tiki I was informed that I could source anodised ali tube from flag pole suppliers.However, I am a metal fabricator and managed to piggyback two 5 meter lengths on a large ali box section order my employer had placed with BACO (British aluminium company).Any local non ferreous metal stockist should be able to supply 101.6 x 3.2 but probably not anodised.I do not know the cost for 6.4 meters or two 5 meter lengths.Hope this helps, moon moth
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
I want to have a Tiki 21 aluminium mast built by a befriended metal worker and started to "translate" the original plans, but I am struggling with several construction details at the top and foot/shoe of the mast and the front end of the gaff. I'd be thankful if someone who already owns a Tiki (21 or any other Tiki wing sail) aluminium mast could post some photos of said details. I am also wondering if it has to be anodised aluminium.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Vahina, Here is the top of my mast (recently rebuilt): [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2464/3731840561_a61ce5d685_z.jpg[/img] And, here are a few more shots at this link: [url]http://www.themultihull.com/wharram2/t26mh.htm[/url] Here is a shot of a mast foot in aluminum: [img]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5364218050_fc54a5db94_o.jpg[/img] It doesn't have to be anodized, although maintenance is reduced. When I had my mast down for the repairs, I used a brass brush in my angle grinder to remove the oxidation, and then put a good coat of paste wax on the unpainted sections.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Thanks for the photos, they are very useful as suggestions. Especially the ideas about the "rod" put through the masthead, the deflection roller (? hopefully the right expression) for the jib halyard and the construction of the mast foot. Is your mast really made of aluminium? On the photo it looks more like stainless steel. Did you ever faced the problem of non-anodizised aluminium oxidation staining your sails? How's your gaff constructed? Similar to the original design (let's say: a tube with two rectangular pieces welded to it) or simply one long tube with a semicircular section at the end "embracing" the mast (but how to avoid abrasion then)?
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Vahina, Here is my mast on the boat, all rigged: [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/4059118839_babe08de2b_z.jpg[/img] Yes, it's aluminum, just brand new aluminum. No staining of the sails by the aluminum oxide at all. The weathered aluminum does get a rougher surface due to the oxide, which is why I brass-brushed it and put the wax to it. [img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3859393245_bf7e04ef39_z.jpg[/img] My gaff is painted wood, per the plans.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Thank you.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Has anybody found a clean solution for redirecting main and peak halyards at the top of the mast? The suggested double block seems to twist (a Tiki owner even posted a foto of a terribly mangled block some time before). I am thinking about fitting two single blocks to different spots at a mast crane similar to the one Kim shows on his photos since I don't like the messy looks of two blocks fitted to the same spot. Any better (looking and working) idea?
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Hi All, Cookie has a 4" dia. mast or 100mm with wall thickness of 4mm. It is an anodized section bought from a flag and banner company in Plymouth all those years ago. Got the advice from Steve Turner as that's where he bought sections from to make some of his masts. certainly was a lot cheaper than buying anything from a marine supplier! I made up wooden inserts as per Wharrams plans for the top and bottom and made up hardwood hounds to hang the rigging on at the top. It has all held up very well. I use a s/s tang to hang the main halyard blocks from and lash the jib halyard block just round the hounds on top of the wires. I found Wharrams design of rope pennant hanging from the mast head chafed through the rope and also wanted to carve its way down through the wood of the mast crane! Photo of mast head [attachment=1]P4130010.JPG[/attachment] Mast base with a great fierce Polynesian Tiki face on the NZ 10c coin duly fitted...............what can I say.....it obviously works!! [attachment=0]P4130011.JPG[/attachment] As far as main halyard block - I used to use a double and got some halyard chafe after a long while. Now I use two single blocks to allow halyards for find their very different angles when the sail is set. Now no chafe problems at all. Happy sailing to all in 2011 Cheers Rory & Cookie
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 Mast
Here is a shot I took of the old masthead after I had changed from a double block to 2 singles: [img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3383/3327883501_97f9d8f889_z.jpg[/img] You can see how the peak and main halyards go in very different directions. On the new masthead, I have a suitably sized anchor shackle that the 2 singles hang from; this gives them enough room to do their own thing. ;) Rory, kudos once again for your grand performance in the Jester Challenge!