On Jan 16, 4:07 pm, (Richard Casady)
wrote:
On Sun, 13 Jan 2008 08:56:00 -0800, Alan Gomes wrote:
Cal used a mild steel beam that runs athwartships to support the
compression of the mast.

Steel is cheaper than corrosion proof aluminum, which, contrary to
popular belief, is no lighter. ...

The problem isn't that they used mild steel. While not "yachty"
there's no problem with the metal. The problem is that the beam is
installed in such a way that it is impossible to inspect or repair.
Now, 40 years, you can't see how wasted these beams are, but lots of
rust falls off of them so they are suspect. It wouldn't have been any
better if they'd built the beam out of ply, which would have been more
typical. The issue is access and time...

-- Tom.