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 Post subject: Weld a Hobie Mast?
PostPosted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 10:56 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue May 31, 2022 9:46 am
Posts: 3
My lower mast section of the 2-part Hobie Wave mast, about 15 years old, developed a 36" crack.Finding replacements is very difficult. I read where someone welded one for a repair. Has anyone tried this? I have a local welder experienced with aluminum welding and he said he'd give it a shot for $100. This is used on a relatively small inland lake, but the wind will pick up to 12-15 mph at times.

Any feedback welcome, from, "Sure, it will work" to, "Are you freakin' crazy?!?"


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 Post subject: Re: Weld a Hobie Mast?
PostPosted: Sun Jun 05, 2022 6:51 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 3:51 pm
Posts: 84
Location: Poplar Grove, IL
For $100, I'd buy an old H14 or H16 mast and use that. Where are you located? Somebody on here might have a mast they can sell you.

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Bryan
Poplar Grove, IL
1977 Hobie 16 (died a spectacular death https://youtu.be/Y7O22bp2MVA)
1978 Hobie 16


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 Post subject: Re: Weld a Hobie Mast?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2022 12:04 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 24, 2021 12:25 pm
Posts: 8
I bought a used Wave that had a crack in the mast. I initially was going to have it welded, as aluminum is very weldable, but then I remembered when welding aluminum you loose your tempering. The Hobie masts should be a 6061-T6 with a yield of 40 ksi, when welding the aluminum you are annealing it back to a 6061-T0 with a strength of 18 ksi. So you are losing over half you strength. If it is already cracked it must be seeing stress there, thinking you are throwing away $100 to have it welded.

My crack was only 10 mm or so, so I just cut it off. I would look for an old H14 mast and have it cut to size.


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 Post subject: Re: Weld a Hobie Mast?
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2022 5:59 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
Any thoughts on what caused the crack in the first place? A 36” long longitudinal crack seems like a very strange failure for a Hobie mast.

Personally, I would consider having it welded. Yes, you will lose the temper, but for $100 I would probably still give it a shot. After it’s fixed, rig the boat and crank on the mainsheet real hard to check that the repair holds.

sm


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 Post subject: Re: Weld a Hobie Mast?
PostPosted: Tue Jun 07, 2022 3:30 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2017 7:05 pm
Posts: 105
Location: Franksville, WI.
I'm no metal ologist, just a home welder, but doesn't aluminum work harden with time?


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 Post subject: Re: Weld a Hobie Mast?
PostPosted: Thu Jun 09, 2022 6:49 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2003 6:19 pm
Posts: 144
Location: Florida Panhandle
Like others have stated, find a used Hobie 14 mast and cut the bottom section to length. Welds have not worked well on the sections in the past.

BC :wink:

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Bob Curry
Master Unirig Sailor


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 Post subject: Re: Weld a Hobie Mast?
PostPosted: Fri Jun 10, 2022 7:10 am 
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Joined: Wed May 12, 2021 3:51 pm
Posts: 84
Location: Poplar Grove, IL
Don't the H16 and H14 share an extrusion? I would think there are a lot more H16 masts out there.

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Bryan
Poplar Grove, IL
1977 Hobie 16 (died a spectacular death https://youtu.be/Y7O22bp2MVA)
1978 Hobie 16


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