can my mast handle 6:1 downhaul

Thinking about upgrading my downhaul my concern is my mast. It is one of the retrofit comptip mast, are theses just as strong as factory comptip mast?

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Charleston, SC
Ft Moultrie BeachCat Sailors https://www.facebook.com/groups/229735613710689/
Fleet 53

Short answer is . . . probably.

If it's one of the early retrofits, it has two screws on either side and the join is several inches above the tang. There weren't many of those made, because they had had problems.

If your Comptip starts just above the tang, and the tang rivets are used to hold it in, then you're good to go.

Just don't downhaul the sail any farther than you already do, i.e., don't pull the tack below the black band. The purpose of the 6:1 downahul system is to allow you to make easier adjustments, it's not so you can crank the tack down to the front crossbar. Even with a brand new mast you're liable to break something if you use excessive downhaul tension. Use reasonable judgement and you should be fine.

sm

Mine is the one with the two screws. That is the answer i was exspecting to hear. Is the worse case senario just the comptip will fail? Will a modern comptip fit.this mast

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Charleston, SC
Ft Moultrie BeachCat Sailors https://www.facebook.com/groups/229735613710689/
Fleet 53

Probably not. I'm amazed that yours has held up this long.

Worst case is that the Comptip will come loose, not that it will break. Depending on the circumstances, that could be a minor inconvenience or a disaster.

To fit a new Comtip would require a few inches be cut off the aluminum (don't know the exact measurement) and the mast tang removed / reinstalled, since on the new Comptips, the tang rivets hold the Comptip on (along with the epoxy).

Just glue the old CompTip into the mast and you should be good-to-go. Structure is the same as current versions.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)