After derigging after another great sess at Inverloch noticed my Sailworks 100% carbon speed stick had a crack in it. - SDM
Crack is 2/3 way up on the bottom section(2 piece mast) and is about 1/3 around the diameter.
Can it be repaired/by whom?
Apart from dropping - what causes masts to crack?
Can you buy spare sections?
Who stocks Sailworks in Australia?( I brought it 2nd hand )
Can I still use it if I turn crack to inside of bend when rigging?
If it breaks, is it likely to damage sail?
Salty,
I had a mast (brand new) snap 1 m from the bottom in the middle of a gybe - clearly a production fault. Snapped another newish mast while rigging up.
What makes them crack ? good question - fatigue, constant stressing, minor manufacturing fault that magnifies over time? and the obvious hits etc..
Will it damage the sail if it snaps - more than likely - carbon fibre is like a glass and will cut nicely.
Don't really know if it can be repaired - the crack you are seeing may only be part of the problem - what does it look like on the inside?
Best to replace the mast section with identical bottom half or replace whole mast.
- J
Board Crazy at Belmont NSW are the importers of Sailworks product to Australia. They are a Seabreeze sponsor and have banner ads for Sailworks here. Not sure if there is a Victorian shop selling Sailworks gear.
Probably best to get it replaced. If its cracking the it will break and could rip the sail and leave you out in the water with a broken mast. Unfortunately the bottom section is normally the section that breaks so its unlikely you will be able to source a bottom section on its own.
Any carbon rod ie fishing rods, masts etc can and will bruise if knocked hard enough. This 'bruise' will cause a weak spot that can cause it to virtually explode when put under extreme pressure. Although I havent seen too many masts break (yet), I have seen many carbon fishing rods go off like a gun shot when I worked up north. This was all due to not enough care being taken in their transport. I dare say masts have a thicker wall but I am sure they will react the same way.
Pure carbon fishing rods were never able to be successfully repaired and if they were patched up, they never had the same curve characteristics.
Overtightening the boom could also be the culprit. Those 100% masts are expensive, so I feel your pain, but it's really stuffed.
IF you insist on repairing it, best not to use it way out in the ocean; just somewhere nice and safe where you can get back easy if (when) it breaks.
I've managed to break 2 in my short w/surfing career, a 60% and a 90% and all at that same location, which is generally about where the nose of the board comes into contact with the mast after a bad spill.
Both gave me no notice, so if you've spoted a crack, chances are the next sail you have, or maybe the one after, you'll be cruising along, then, 'CRACK'....flat on your back!
I'd recommend to read up about how to rig a broken mast in the water (I did the second time, sailing by myself, took about 30mins, 1km offshore, and sailed in OK, actually nearly got planing!)
If you find out who stocks mast bottom sections, let me know, I have 2 perfectly good tops. BTW, carbon splinters aren't nice on the hands!
A crack you can't see is enough to make it explode just rigging it.
If it is 1/3 of the way around and you can see it, I would not rig it let alone use it.
Cut into 3ft sections and use for beach rod holders.
I wouldn't stick it up a good sail cause WHEN, not IF, it breaks you might bugger up a good sail as well. I use 100% SDM masts but don't leave them rigged on beach for long periods in hot sun. Also between the boom clamp and the mast I insert a piece of rubber cut from a hot water bottle. (it has a lot of serrations on surface)
It don't slip down the mast but also prevents crushing the mast with an over tightened boom clamp.
there must be a person in Victoria building a mini landyacht 
who could give you a couple of dollars towards your new mast( which you need) . when he or she breaks i( the old one) they will be on the beach
crack in mast - not good.
anyone out there with composite stress analysis experience that could go into the failure mode of a mast with a circumferential crack?
in general for beams (ie a mast) under load you will get maximum stress at the surfaces - hence any dings/gouges/defects at the surface will cause a stress concentration - exceed the maximum stress of the material and it's game over.
The resin properties used in mast manufacure can also be affected by excess temperature (dependant on the resin type), in general the strength is reduced as the temperature increases.
North puts a protective coating on the outside of their mast's to reduce surface damage and thermal effects (apparently).
You could attempt a repair by wrapping the affected area with unidirectional carbon tape - laminate with a good epoxy resin. I have repaired two masts that have had minor cracks - still going strong - touch carbon
