My old Firefly mast has a hole in it...

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Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

My old Firefly mast has a hole in it...

Post by Michael4 »

My old Reynolds Firefly mast has a hole in it, nearly two.

I would like to hang onto it because it has the extension at the bottom that helps old people get under the boom, a bit.

One of the holes is just below the gooseneck and very small (2mm ish) though there is a little lumpiness near it.

The other hole is roughly where the wooden mast top section ends inside the ally mast. again, 2-3mm.

I fear that patching it with pop rivets etc might lead somewhere I do not want to go...

I propose to dribble Fluid Film into the mast and then squirt as much spray grease etc in there as poss, turning the mast as I go. Try to get it to cover as much as poss. I had thought of drilling a series of holes, perhaps in the luff groove, to help spray stuff around but this doesn't really sound the right thing to do.

I will then tape up the holes.

The downside is, I guess, that on a nice sunny day it will all leak out into the bottom of the boat.

Any have any other approaches to what must be a fairly familiar problem?

Michael
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
chris
Posts: 2474
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:43 pm
Location: somerset

Re: My old Firefly mast has a hole in it...

Post by chris »

I had a very early merlin proctor mast which was quite corroded on the outside (pre-anodising perhaps). The alloy forming the back part of the luff groove for about a foot is starting to split near the top. It happens to be a very light mast and I cut it down to make a spare for Iska when I don't want to take the wooden mast. I was expecting the inside to be very badly corroded on the evidence of the splitting and the outside. However redoing the foot showed that the inside was in pristine condition and showed no sigh of corrosion at all.
I was not sure if you meant your holes are there by corrosion or man made but all I'm saying is that the inside may be better than you think and may be worth investigating first.
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: My old Firefly mast has a hole in it...

Post by Michael4 »

Thanks and yes, I forgot to mention that I believe the holes to be the result of corrosion (or oxidisation). The main one being where the wooden section is joined to the ally section, I presume a nice damp spot prone to condensation. The boat is 1952 and the mast may be from that date...who knows?

The outside of the mast, though battered and scarred doesn't look too bad and there is no splitting. I'll give it a go and see what happens.

Our Merlin (1959) has an ancient Proctor mast. Plenty of opinions have been given in the dinghy park as to whether it is anodised or not...I don't worry about it anymore, so long as it is up there all is fine...the time to worry is when it comes down!
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
Michael Brigg
Posts: 1663
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:11 pm
Location: Gosport, UK

Re: My old Firefly mast has a hole in it...

Post by Michael Brigg »

It has been said that the Reynolds tends to corrod from the inside outwards, and this I thik is due to the non anodised nature of the mast . but usually liberally coated with metallic "Galvafroid" silver paint protecting the outside.

Any hole will let in moisture. If it is salty, then the rest is inevitable. If there are Chloride ions on an un-anodised surface with Oxygen in the air, and water as a solvent, then corrosion will happen. If you coat inside with grease all that will happen is you get corrosion even more on the bits you hve missed and like moths in the wardrobe, or mice in the attic, little holes will be inevitable.

You need to totally dry out the mast and then hermetically seal it. The mast is technically a sealed unit so this should be possible
Michael Brigg
GAv
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Joined: Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:34 am
Location: N Essex
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Re: My old Firefly mast has a hole in it...

Post by GAv »

Sorry have I misread this, is part of the mast wood.
Not trying to be oportunist but I have now broken up the hull of my too far gone 1960 Fairey Firefly, so still a few bits n bobs on Fleabay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321720566514? ... 1555.l2649
Michael4
Posts: 504
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:25 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: My old Firefly mast has a hole in it...

Post by Michael4 »

Michael,

I will take your advice. The mast has been under cover for three months now. I'll make it as dry as I can, seal up all holes I can find and hope for the best.

Gav,

Thanks for the offer but I'll try and stay with an older mast.

Michael
Tideway 206
11+
Sold the 'Something bigger and plastic', it never got used.
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