[Public-List] Public-List Digest, Vol 1729, Issue 1

[Gordon Laco]

And I'll speak for STV PATHFINDER and TS PLAYFAIR, SLII's sisters.

While I bore the burden of running their operation I had PATHFINDER's upper
masts and yards rebuilt in the mid-90's... All epoxy and there has been no
problem as expected.

One thing you may find interesting, Peter, I had the cores of the  of the
masts and spars 'armoured' with white oak in the middle the sitka spruce
laminations for the last three feet of each.  I reckoned that a spar's
achilles heel is the tapered end where the ironwork receives its rigging
(stays, braces etc) and accordingly bolstered them there.  It worked.

Gord #426 SURPRISE


On 05/02/10 11:59 AM, "Peter Milley" <milleype at kingston.net> wrote:

> I have been reading this thread on epoxy resins with amusement.
> 
> We operate the tallship St. Lawrence II/ Brigantine Inc. All our masts,
> spars, yards and booms are laminated with epoxy. we've never experienced
> any issues with delamination. A mast will generally wear out with age
> before it will experience any delamination issues. Surfaces prone to wear
> around irons are problematic where surface coatings chafe and allow
> moisture to gather. This needs to be monitored.
> We have been operating our sail training vessel for the past 60 years, May
> till November on the Great Lakes and Atlantic in all conditions. Our ship
> is not a dock queen; it gets sailed!
> Peter Milley,
> v.Pres Brigantine Inc.
> v. Chairman CSTA
> 
> 
> 
>> On Feb 4, 2010, at 3:21 PM, Wcwinslow at aol.com wrote:
>> 
>>> Hey, What's the bum rap on epoxy? I scarfed and glued a  27' hollow
>>> wood
>>> mast with nothing holding it together except epoxy. That was in
>>> 1995. You
>>> will agree that a mast gets lots of stress, but nothing has budged
>>> so far.
>> 
>> Now that you mention it, I have a boat-builder friend who has built at
>> least a half dozen masts with epoxy as the only glue.  They were
>> bird's mouth construction.
>> 
>> I believe he has also disassembled one or two older wooden masts (non-
>> epoxy glue failure - not sure what kind it was but they were old) and
>> reglued them with epoxy.  They were (if I have my terminology right)
>> box construction.  I think I would have heard if one of them had
>> failed, as we're in touch regularly.  The boats are out sailing.
>> 
>> Are masts and beams not subject to creeping loads? (I understand now
>> that the cold molded boats are not.)
>> 
>> In a way I don't have "a dog in this fight," because I'm comfortable
>> with the materials and glues I use for my projects; but then I know
>> that before I reached that stage I relied upon information from forums
>> (along with other info).  And I hate to think of people not
>> considering epoxy for anything structural, when it seems suitable.  I
>> wonder if maybe it is being ruled out unnecessarily.
>> 
>> Again, I'm open to changing my mind if it isn't structurally suitable
>> for boats, but.... I just have the nagging feeling that it is (?)
>> 
>> 
>> Rachel
>> ex-#221
>> 
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> 
> 
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