Daysailor Mast Length Delima

[pnichols]

I have a '68 DSI I am restoring (lot's of work on just about everything)

I am now in the process of reconditioning the mast. (sanding, adding a tabernacle [the mast had already been cut for a tabernacle but then re-sleeved], new spreaders and brackets, etc).

I measured my mast and checked it against the By-Law 3 Specifications and Measurements which states that "from the top of band 1 (mast datum) to the bottom of band 3 the mast should be 22' 6"." And according to the diagram, the top of band 1 is at the top of the mast hole of the cuddy.

My mast measures out at 24' 6" from the bottom of the mast to the top of band 3 (not including the masthead). And for reference I checked the DR mast length for a fully complete mast and they specify a complete DS I mast as 24' 7". So this all seems to check out.

So here is the problem. At 22' 6" (band 1 to band 3) with a 24' 7" total overall length, that leaves 2' 1" for the mast from the top of the cuddy to the bottom of the DS I hull step.

But my length from the cuddy hole to my mast step is 29". The mast step is a large round brass ring which turns on a large brass screw so it can be adjusted up and down, but even with this amount of adjustment it could never be shortened to the needed distance of about 25".

Here is my question. Does anyone else have a DS I set up like this and if so what is your mast length? What is your length from the top of the cuddy to the mast step which is mounted on the center member of the hull bottom?

It looks like even if I purchased a new mast from DR it would be too short and I would have to modify the mast step to make it work.

I am missing something here?

Thanks

[K.C. Walker]

I did not try searching the forum but I know this has been discussed in the last year. Persephone (Geoff) went through this before nationals to get race ready. Remember that the rules state that these are MAXIMUM measurements and that many people use shorter mast. If I recall correctly, 5 inches short still puts you within range of people that have won national championships. Phill Root specifically pointed out several national champions mast length, including his own.

KC

[Bob Damon]

Many of the stock masts were shorter than the Class allowed maximums. If you are going to put on a new tabernacle, you may want to get another section of mast for the lower section that is long enough to fill the space needed and that then allows the upper section to be longer. An advantage to the longer mast is the sail is higher and you get more head room as well. Whether there is some competitive advantage is hard to tell. Let me know of any specific measurement questions that may come up while you are doing this. Good luck, Bob Damon

[pnichols]

KC and Bob

Thanks for the great feedback. This helps a lot and from this have formulated an approach. Knowing that the lengths were max'es and that other DS's have shorter masts, helped me decide my approach. I will also most likely take Bob's advice about getting another section of mast for the lower section.

I went back and re-read the whole measurement spec and realized I have a bit more flexibility than I originally thought but that certain dimensions are more important than others in regards to the physical layout of my existing mast, such as the spreader height and the spinnaker pole attachment point to the top of the cuddy.

I also realized that I needed to step the mast, check out the sails and measure my whole set up before I begin cutting for the tabernacle.

Thanks again - I will let you know how this turns out.

[K.C. Walker]

Paul,

I rig and launch my boat single-handed without much problem due to having the tabernacle. I know that it compromises the performance somewhat, though.

The tabernacle was already installed on my boat when I got it. Without going to measure it, I would guess that it's 3 to 3 1/2 inches above the cuddy top. At this height the jib sheets get fouled in the pins and square corners of the tabernacle. Some kind of a boot really helps keep it from fouling. However, I've been wondering if having it right down against the cuddy top would greatly reduce this fouling problem. To step the mast would be a little more fiddly in that you would need a crutch at the transom high enough to clear the cuddy with the mast before stepping it.

A mast crutch that attaches to the rudder gudgeons is in a good location for balancing the mast before attaching it to the tabernacle.

Just some random thoughts…

KC

[GreenLake]

As K.C. wrote, a mast crutch can be as simple as a notched board (1x5) with two pintles. A simple pine board has served me for years, including trailering.

As an alternative to cutting masts you might consider a hinged sleeve, plus a tripod (more here). With that system, I mostly use the tripod for lowering the mast, if I'm single-handed. Raising an uncut mast using just the sleeve is fine for two people, or single-handed if you are tall enough.

My thought is, why compromise performance. But, to each his own.

[Jett]

This turned out to be a most informative and timely thread. Just yesterday I was looking at the pictures of the most recent Nationals and wondered how the booms could be so high on most of the boats. The mast on my Spindrift DS1 (deck mounted) is shorter! Never dawned on me that the masts can be different lengths.

Thanks Bob Damon for your explanation. Now I get it!