Hey all!
For the first time my Gaastra mast stuck together on the weekend. Probably some sand etc in there but I cannot for the life of me unstick it!
Any insider tips on separating the sections?
Cheers!
Paul

2 to 4 men each side twisting in opposite directions....800 similar requests on Seabreeze over the last decade

Get seven mates around for a barbie.
Feed meat and beer,
Get four mates on one end and self and three others on other end.
This is the most important bit.....
Make sure everyone knows which way to twist.
Just before starting , again make sure everyone knows which way to twist
Twist and grunt.
If it doesn't work , again make sure everyone is twisting in the right direction.
Believe me it sounds simple but when u have seven drunk mates..............
If u have eight working blokes and it doesn't seperate , you now have a one piece mast.

easier for a right hander to twist strongly anti clockwise

Sorry, not much help now that it's stuck but may help if you need to be able to get it apart again.

Happens occasionally with my Ezzy Hookipa masts, though this method is only possible if the bottom section doesn't have an internal plug or any restriction (with joining sleeve fitted to the top section).

I have a short section of nylon rod (slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the mast bottom section at the join) and a long piece of wood dowel that I store at home for occasions like this. Place the nylon rod first and then the dowel up inside the base section and gently tap the dowel with a soft face mallet (or something heavier duty if that doesn't work!).

Sparky said...
Type "google".
Type "seabreeze mast stuck"
You will find your answer, even some preventative measures.
Some people even tape the joint with every session, which doesn't help now, but may in future.

Thanks mate.
Never used tape, but may consider now!! Will check out the previous seabreeze results.
Cheers!

greenleader said...
2 to 4 men each side twisting in opposite directions....800 similar requests on Seabreeze over the last decade

Ha ha. Yeah, upon some more google searches it seems to be a fairly common issue.
May have get some mates round and twist the hell out of it.
Cheers

Shake it baby, shake it!

Seriously, with one person at each end, shake it up and down like crazy, while you twist and pull it apart. It makes a huge difference! I've had masts that 4 guys could not twist apart separate easily when vigorously shaken.

Buy a roof rack.

Attach boom just below the join.
Attach another boom just above the join.
Scissor booms and pull.

I've had success (and no failures) pulling them apart with the car.
I wouldn't use this method on an eggshell race mast.
Tie one end to the base of a tree, the other to the car.
Use tapes rather than ropes.
Tie to mast using "icicle hitch".

Take care to avoid mast flying back at the car. That's a good reason not to use stretchy rope.
Do it over grass to avoid damage to the mast.

Go to spot where people rig, recruit as many as possible, attach multiple booms and twist away.
Someone once said something about attaching a hose and forcing water into it.

Sparky said..
Maybe it got stuck because you DID use electrical tape on the joint? I never tape the joint and have never had a stuck mast. Have you taken the tape off?

I didn't tape a mast until I broke one end of a $600 near new mast due to separation. 20 cents worth of tape seems like a no brainer to me. If it keeps sand out as well, bonus.

Thanks heaps to everyone for their solutions! So many great ideas. Hope everyone enjoys the coming weekend on the water!
Cheers!

This my remedy for stuck a mast.

Use a strap with a good binding wrap around the bottom mast section.

Holding onto the top section roll the mast until tight against the roo bar.

Then pull and roll tighter at the same time.

This has worked well so far. And as I am usually sailing by myself its a simple remedy for when I forget to tape the join.

Using brute force only will sometimes break the mast. Using two booms not a problem since they do not grip that hard and will slip. Mast break has occurred two ways, so far:

1. tube shears
2. ferrule plug unglues from the wrong piece

If you first flex it at all angles--support at ends and and weighting the center to flex, rotating a bit, then repeating the flex over and over until a full 360. You will see the and hear the joint move a bit with each flex and even see water seeping out. This breaks the sand seal and allows a few people or even one person sometimes to separate top and bottom. If fully dry inside, you might want to soak it wet it again beforehand.

The dowel idea sounds great. Wish I had thought of it on one or two occasions in the past. Might even use the narrower tip of another mast as a ram?

Tape at the joint works well to prevent sticking. However, you do not need tape if:
You do not let the sail in the sandy shore break.
You do not rig in blowing sand.
You clean out the sand in the sail luff sleeve and mast pieces before rigging.

Getting help on the beach is a good conversation starter. Pretty funny for a guy in a wetsuit and zinc on his face trying explain to groups of non-sailors who do not speak English how to hold and twist the mast and they wonder what you heck you are asking.