I have the opportunity to purchase an SC17 ...with a few issues.
The biggest problem is a bent mast. Quite honestly I have never seen a bent mast before, but low and behold this mas does have a slight bend to the left. Is it possible to straighten a mast?
The hull has a marinetex repair on the top just in front of a crossbeam and another thru hull puncture wound that appears to have been caused by the trailer.
Sails appear to be in good shape, as are the rudders.
I am having a hard time overcoming the mast issue. Any advice you can pass on would be most appreciated.
Thanks
Last edited by whalerman on October 29th, 2008, 10:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
If the mast is not dented or kinked then you should be able to straighten the mast.
Support the mast on two sawhorses, one at the hounds and the other at the mast base. Lay the mast on its side with the bend upwards. Now gently push down until you have deflected the mast an equal distance opposite the bend. Repeat this a few times and then see if your making progress towards getting it straight.
You can usually get them pretty straight although it might not be perfect, but this is usually more then good enough. A word of caution, if you get too aggressive in your attempts to straighten the mast you could dent it where it contacts the sawhorses or worse yet I suppose you could break it, but that is pretty uncommon.
I've straightened three bent masts. 2 with excellent success. With patience, I was able to achieve a ruler straight mast again. My approach was a little different. I laid the bent mast on the boat and used the front cross beam on the cat as the pressure point while me and my jib man push down at each end.
The advantages are many. You and your mate can hold each end of the mast, while you are able to focus the intensity of the pressure on the actual bend. Second, you can "feel" the elasticity of the metal as you push against it. You'll be surprised just how well you can feel when the metal is moving back. It works best when your mate holds the end still and you control the amount of pressure.
Most importantly, you can also pick up the mast and sight it to see the progress you're making. I'll mark with chalk or duct tape where exactly the majority of the "crick"is and place it right on the bar. that helps a lot since it's difficult to get perspective when you're 15 feet away!
Don't get in a hurry, a little bit at a time, and you can accomplish superb results.
