Mast collars material

User avatar
GeoffSchultz
Posts: 1135
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 8:39 am
Location: BlueJacket: Guatemala
Contact:

Re: Mast collars material

Post by GeoffSchultz »

Randy,

At every boat show that I go to, there's someone that's selling a tape that's incredibly stretchy and bonds to itself. I have several rolls on board in black and white. I don't know who makes the tape, but I think that would work well.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

User avatar
THATBOATGUY
Posts: 574
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:50 am
Location: F40 CC CK Maryland
Contact:

Re: Mast collars material

Post by THATBOATGUY »

Geoff,

I believe there are more than one manufacture of that style of tape called, "self amalgamating" (I think). In the Air Farce we called it F-4 tape, probably because that was about all that was holding the old birds together towards the end of their very long and successful service. I just purchased two rolls very reasonably from Harbor Freight the other day, one colored white and one Black. When you are done making a repair with them you get a nice pliable water tight seal similar to butyl rubber. For the record, I don't think they would make a good seal around the mast color. They stick to themselves much better than they stick to anything else. But for sealing a connection for a Single Side Band to a backstay for instance... can't be beat.

George
George and Kerri Huffman S/V Marquesa Freedom 40 CC CK Sail MarquesaImage

User avatar
Michel
Posts: 546
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:48 am
Location: Zaanstad, the Netherlands, EU

Re: Mast collars material

Post by Michel »

Alain,

I used PMC-790, a Shore A 90 two part PU rubber.

Indeed they use it to make molds to cast concrete garden statues and things like that. I used it in exact the same way as you have to use Spartite. So I made a bottom of plasticine, wood and tape and I smeared the deck edge with vaseline. I made a dam around the deck collar with masking tape and then I poured the liquid in. I first made a wedge all around the mast and after curing, I poured a second layer on top as a watertight seal on top of the deck collar. It looks real neat.

I am convinced that you have to use the hardest rubber (Shore A 90) and not the spartite Shore A 55-60. That's meant to create a watertight wedge/seal on shrouded masts. If you want your unstayed mast to sit still and not move around in a soft rubber band and not tear off the watertight seal around it, you need wedges that cannot be compressed, so the hardest variety.

My PU wedges and seals are two years old now. No leaks yet.
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

AlanK
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:59 pm
Location: Freedom 33 Boston, MA USA

Re: Mast collars material

Post by AlanK »

On my F-33 I use the original Freedom rings around the masts below deck. However between the above deck aluminum collar and the mast I have spartite. This combination has been waterproof for 2 seasons so far (even though I used vaseline between the spartite and the mast) and yet the masts are easy to remove and reinstall (but I unbolt the collars and leave them on the mast).

User avatar
Michel
Posts: 546
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:48 am
Location: Zaanstad, the Netherlands, EU

Re: Mast collars material

Post by Michel »

Hi Alan,

I agree that for the watertight seal the somewhat softer Spartite is better than the harder PU I used. And it has a UV protector in it, I suppose.
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

Mark Thompson
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:34 pm
Location: Grosse Pointe, MI USA

Re: Mast collars material

Post by Mark Thompson »

I have used Rubbaweld for the last couple of years. Does the job and looks better than the previous rubber boot. ;) ;)
Mark
Eleuthera
F30m-78
Mark
Eleuthera, F30-78
Grosse Pointe Park, MI

Post Reply