Aluminium mast corrosion
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Hello everyone
After 10 years of service, I decided this year to change the standing rigging on Corto (Pogo 8.50) and dismast for the first time. I was right to do so, as I found corrosion on 1/3 of the mast circumference at the stern joint. In places, it’s at least 1 mm thick. I’m obviously concerned. Have you ever had a similar problem? What solution have you found? Thank you for your help. All the best.
Hello Xavier,
After seventeen years, my mast doesn’t have this problem. I personally rebuilt it two years ago at Tonnerre. When reassembling it, they advised me to center the mast once it was in place using the winches, then fill in the space with rolled-up rope. Your problem doesn’t seem to be unique, however, as an owner preparing for the Transquadra told me in La Trinité a month ago that he’d had the same problem. He told me that a shipyard had offered to put two resin half-hulls in the root. I could advise you to contact the owners of the 8.50 currently on the La Trinité jetty for more information.
Best regards Xavier
Hello everyone,
After multiple opinions from metal experts, from the Combrit and Zspare yards, we agreed that the only acceptable solution in terms of safety and performance was to change the mast tube. We couldn’t take any risks with a part we couldn’t monitor. And certainly not the risk of dismasting off Yeu, with all sails set… Sleeving” was technically and financially an alternative that I didn’t opt for.
The erosion is probably mechanical and corrosive, as the mast may have been “pumped” and corroded by seawater seeping through the stern. Do you have any other hypotheses?
Waiting for the new tube, hoping to be on the starting line of the ArMen in time.
Best regards.
Hello Xavier, hello everyone
We also have to dismast soon in order to change the standing rigging, which is as old as the 2005 boat.
Are there any special recommendations?
I’m wondering about the watertightness during re-masting (stern joint to be changed?)Thank you for your advice and have a nice day 🙂
jm
Hello to both of you. Many interesting questions! What remains unbearable is definitely the irruption of sea water inside… Otherwise, it’s a good idea to center the mast by passing a rope around it, and use winches on both sides to achieve this. Then take a tip from the pros at Tonnerre: stuff a piece of rope around the mast, turning it and pressing down with a large screwdriver. Once it’s in, release the mast, which should be centered. The stern joint is replaced with a new model identical to the old one. Mine was still on sale three years ago. I’ve recently learned that one mistake you shouldn’t make is to put silicone on top of the sunken end: it forms a terrible electrolysis between this product and the aluminum. Could this be the cause of Xavier’s (Corto) problem? On the other hand, I haven’t found a solution to prevent water getting in despite the new cap when the front is rinsed thoroughly. I had read some very interesting documentation on an American product called SPARTITE . I hadn’t tried it, but had seen it on sale on Amazon. This two-component swelling elastomer product should be tested, as it seems like a good idea. Sincerely Ah, I forgot: a final clarification from my friends in Lorient: for them, a rig refit should be carried out every seven years …. Ah, well?
the link in reference: https://pdf.nauticexpo.fr/pdf-en/spartite/spartite-brochure/21835-25213.html#open
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