Went sailing last night and my buddy who races J-boats says that I should
redo/replace my mast wedges. There's no play, but she thinks they could be
partially rotted inside and I should play it safe. No big deal, but this is my
first keel stepped mast.
Can anyone explain the specifics of mast wedges? Are they supporting the mast
to any great degree, protecting the deck/collar? What happens if wedges fail?

Thanks,

Capt RB
C&C 32
NY

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
| Can anyone explain the specifics of mast wedges? Are they supporting the
mast
| to any great degree, protecting the deck/collar? What happens if wedges
fail?

Don't fret about it.... she was just taking a cue from Suzanne and making
herself feel important by talking down to a dummy. If anything.. a failed
wedge [ why do I have the urge to laugh?] would only remove the stress on
your mast from the grossly uneven tension of the stays you didn't bother to
set correctly.

Can you explain to me how she managed to determine this through your mast
boot? .... or did she dig her knife up through the thin edge of the shims
from the inside??

Bwahahahahahahahaaa!

CM

Can you explain to me how she managed to determine this through your mast
boot? .... or did she dig her knife up through the thin edge of the shims
from the inside??

Poor Mooron. He's seems bent on making a fool of himself. Yes, she did push her
knife into a couple of the wedges. They are easily visible from the cabin. Age
of the wedges was what primarily concerned her.

RB

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
| Can you explain to me how she managed to determine this through your mast
| boot? .... or did she dig her knife up through the thin edge of the shims
| from the inside??
|
| Poor Mooron. He's seems bent on making a fool of himself. Yes, she did
push her
| knife into a couple of the wedges. They are easily visible from the cabin.
Age
| of the wedges was what primarily concerned her.


She's probably correct Bob... it sounds like she knows her wood and testing
the fine edge of the wedge would clearly indicate the condition of the wood
inside. [especially indicative of partial rot on the interior] If she thinks
they could be partially rotted inside ... she must be right and no matter if
they look sound right now ... I'd suggest you replace them immediately.
Failure might lead to a collapse of the standing rigging and at the very
least your mast will wobble when you sail.

It's not often you get a free inspection dockside by someone with
credentials in wood like being a J24 Racer. Take advantage of this timely
advise.... please.

CM

f she thinks
they could be partially rotted inside ... she must be right and no matter if
they look sound right now ...

Got some e-mails from the C&C folk about this. It's probably a good idea to
change wood wedges from time to time. In the case of Alien, said wedges are at
least 10 years old. Sounds like she was right and you're wrong.
Again.

Poor, poor mooron!

RB

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
| f she thinks
| they could be partially rotted inside ... she must be right and no matter
if
| they look sound right now ...
|
| Got some e-mails from the C&C folk about this. It's probably a good idea
to
| change wood wedges from time to time. In the case of Alien, said wedges
are at
| least 10 years old. Sounds like she was right and you're wrong.
| Again.
|
| Poor, poor mooron!

What a goof ball... Yeah Bob... the wedges are rotted... sure.! ... yet you
said they were fine when you inserted them way back when... .

Sure you'd change them from time to time... compression of the wedges to a
point they have to be driven in to far Bob!
Rot... ha ha ha...

CM

It's not often you get a free inspection dockside by someone with
credentials in wood like being a J24 Racer.

And J30, J35 racer and capable of rebuilding the diesel engine in her father's
Pearson Wanderer.

RB

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
| It's not often you get a free inspection dockside by someone with
| credentials in wood like being a J24 Racer.
|
| And J30, J35 racer and capable of rebuilding the diesel engine in her
father's
| Pearson Wanderer.

Yeah.. sure Bob!

CM

http://www.polyprod.com/
http://www.spartite.com/


On a keel steeped rig like yours, the deck collar wedge acts a a
spacer/ shock absorber/buffer between the deck and the mast. It
provides only minimal lateral support as none is needed to hold up the
rig. The collar is there to provide a packing medium for water
proofing and support for the mast base sheeves.

As opposed to a stayless rig where the deck IS the support for the
mast and the mast wedges are critical.


On 10 Sep 2003 12:53:38 GMT, (Bobsprit) wrote:

Went sailing last night and my buddy who races J-boats says that I should
redo/replace my mast wedges. There's no play, but she thinks they could be
partially rotted inside and I should play it safe. No big deal, but this is my
first keel stepped mast.
Can anyone explain the specifics of mast wedges? Are they supporting the mast
to any great degree, protecting the deck/collar? What happens if wedges fail?

Thanks,

Capt RB
C&C 32
NY

Come on Marc... it's a Troll and I got to the hook first... now BACK OFF!!
;-)

CM

"Marc" wrote in message
...
| http://www.polyprod.com/
| http://www.spartite.com/
|
|
| On a keel steeped rig like yours, the deck collar wedge acts a a
| spacer/ shock absorber/buffer between the deck and the mast. It
| provides only minimal lateral support as none is needed to hold up the
| rig. The collar is there to provide a packing medium for water
| proofing and support for the mast base sheeves.
|
| As opposed to a stayless rig where the deck IS the support for the
| mast and the mast wedges are critical.
|
|
| On 10 Sep 2003 12:53:38 GMT, (Bobsprit) wrote:
|
| Went sailing last night and my buddy who races J-boats says that I should
| redo/replace my mast wedges. There's no play, but she thinks they could
be
| partially rotted inside and I should play it safe. No big deal, but this
is my
| first keel stepped mast.
| Can anyone explain the specifics of mast wedges? Are they supporting the
mast
| to any great degree, protecting the deck/collar? What happens if wedges
fail?
|
| Thanks,
|
| Capt RB
| C&C 32
| NY
|