Select to expand quoteHi everyone!
I got my IQ foil mast cracked and I am really afraid to keep using it and end up losing the wings and fuselage.
What do you think guys? Is it something cosmetic or not?
Just in case, I didn't hit anything with it.
Thanks
Fredrico,
Thats a tough call given only those two pictures.
In the scary column this right where the loads are the highest.
In the just ride it column it may only be a void in the filler, so it cracked out.
Dunk it in salt water and let it dry, the salt gets left behind showing any cracks. Magnify it with your phone and look for cracks in the fiber layers. If you see any, don't use it anymore.
In the Cover My Ass column it's safest for me to say do not use it.
It's a bummer either way but most or all of us have had some foil related failures.
Do you have a shop that can advise you?
I would use a dental pick to dig in a little to see if there is a crack, or like utc-4 said maybe it was a void. What does the other side look like, any sign of a through crack? If it was just a void that chipped out due to pressure on the mast head from the board foil box, I would use SixTen epoxy to fill and repair.
Also send pic. to Starboard support and see what they say, since they know how the mast head was assembled.
Wow, that's a lot of filler. Can't see well enough to tell if there is any structural damage. Tapping with something hard like a coin can help determine if there is any delamination (poor Man`s ultrasonic) delam or void will usually have a dull thud instead of a sharp click when tapped.
pic 1: Are those wholes in the pic I am attaching just pores? Is that part of the filler?
Pic 2 It's appears there is a crack further down but it could be just the filler cracking (do all the iq masts have so much filler?).
I would not use it until you contact the shop you bought it from and starboard to see what they say.
The broken area creates a stress riser(s) that will only propagate through the adjacent fibers till failure. The trouble with carbon, is it goes catastrophic when it fails. Aluminum will at least give an obvious warning, bend and creaking loudly before failure. I would consider that one done. Wouldn't want to have to swim home or get rescued.
If you foil with it, use a leash. That way, if it breaks, you don't lose your wings and fuse.
Hi all! Thanks all for your comments on this!
I haven't had any answer from Starboard yet but it seems it is a common issue on SB foils, at least for ones that came to Argentina. Looks like it is nothing to be worried about it and it can be fixed with epoxy.
I will post any news from SB or if I have any problem with the foil
