I have a 1973 Sunfish, all original. At some point the bottom cap of the mast went missing. When I went sailing yesterday and flipped, the boat went all the way over (turtled). After sailing, when I removed the mast some cork fell out. Did it go all the way over because cork is missing from the mast? Aside from replacing the bottom cap, what do I need to do to restore the mast and its bouyancy? Thanks in advance.
Help With Mast
- Thread starter jss1960
- Start date
Wayne
Member Emeritus
The cork was an early attempt at flotation or sealing the end or both. Trouble was, cork shrinks and falls around inside. Its use was discontinued some time ago.
The primary causes of going turtle..., in ranking order.
- Sailor hanging on the deck side of the hull, pulling it under
- Wind pushing against the capsized hull bottom
- Waves/chop exacerbating the first two causes
- A little less buoyancy if the mast fills...,
To seal a mast, remove the end caps and seal them with a light smear of silicone sealer (caulk). Remove any screwed on hardware and reinstall it putting a sealer coat on the threads. Any pop-riveted hardware, push a daub of silicone caulk into the rivet's center hole.
...but, before closing the tube up air-tight, be sure it's completely dry inside.
In this video, note how much of the mast is still out of the water when the boat is capsized.
You can add a float to the top spar, anything from a milk jug to more sophisticated pool pasta sleeves.
