got bent this past weekend

Horror of Horrors - I dropped the mast on my H16. It has a dent and I have a broken heart. My wife has never been a fan of sailing and buying a new stick is not in the cards. Any ideas for repairing a mast?

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Neal 1976 H16

How bad and where? Pictures are helpfull.

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The ox is slow but the earth is patient

I got bent last weekend too.

Nothing some water and Advil couldn't take care of the day after.


Oh, your mast got bent. Well, that's a different story!

Pics would be useful.

Sorry, no pictures to share...the mast was in the mast step link kit for a 16, I had the side-stays on, and a line attached to the headstay. That f*%!@%g line let go just after i got down from the boat, of course. I have relived this nitemare every time I close my eyes. The mast fell twisting sideways and bent over the stern crossbar of the trampoline...denting the mast and bending it about 7-10 degrees off straight. I'll send pics tomorrow.

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Neal 1976 H16

All aluminum mast? Sounds like you could get away with retrofitting a comptip.

Hopefully you & your wife have been married long enough that you know what she likes....So, start kissing her "stern" more than usual, and learn to say "yes dear, that sounds like fun!" Work a little more OT each week while you track down a new mast, then one day while she goes out with the girls swap out the masts and hide the old one. Be brave...you can do it or else your sail shape will forever be messed up, and you will sail slower because of it. Good luck!

is that a composite tip - fiberglass maybe?

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Neal 1976 H16

Yeap. Sure is.

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=78


and installation instructions.

Though I've seen used masts sell for less than buying a new comp tip.

where would I find a used mast? any suggestions ...I've seen some used 16s selling for under $1000 so a used mast has got to be a quarter of that, am I right? But where?

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Neal 1976 H16

[img]http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/images/smilies/rofl[1].gif[/img] Thats the first thing I thought too.

If it bent over the rear crossbar while hooked up to the step, a Comptip is not going to solve your problem. The bend / dent is only about 8' up from the bottom - the absolute worst place for a weak spot / bend in the mast.

I think an insurance claim would be in order. It may even be covered under your homeowner's policy.

If no insurance, you need to find a used mast locally. Masts are very $$$ to ship. Try Craigslist or eBay. Even a dealer may have an old mast in the back.

I've contacted a few Hobie dealers in the area - hoping that they might have something. Any other contacts you can think of...?

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Neal 1976 H16

The used H16 that I bought last summer came with a repaired mast that I believe suffered a similar fate in the past. The owner riveted on a metal plate over the dent and was able the straighten the mast (pretty good job). I have had no problems with it so far. Hope it continues to hold!

You may want try and straighten the mast, you don't have anything to lose. There are a number of posts explaining different methods.

Good luck

Keep your eyes peeled, - there are always h16 bargains popping up. I just got a second mast from eBay last week for $20.--. Straight and all the down hauls and shackles as you wish to find them. It is an older mast but it will work! I just couldn't resist the bargain!!

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Chris Walti

Fire Cat Captain
Sail #35826

Dude if you find anohter bargain like that tell me ... I've been looking for over a year now

I took my mast to a body shop for trucks and they put it on the frame straghtener. Risky.. Could have broke. Its a bit better but they did put a dent in it from the weight they applied to it. If I had've known how they did it I would have suggested they put a 2x4 between the mast and the chain to prevent the dent. If they did that, it would be 99% better.

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Division 10, Fleet 185
Hobie 17 and Hobie 14