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Lubricating masts and booms

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seagrass

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Jul 10, 2002, 5:41:21 AM7/10/02
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I had a mast stuck together so tightly the other day that it took 4 sailors
to twist it apart.

Dave Frame reckons that silicon spray on all the joints and sliding parts
helps him avoid the problem. Is it so? Or does he avoid the problem by
always washing his gear?

If you think it works, is dry lube just as good?


Juri Munkki

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Jul 10, 2002, 6:06:55 AM7/10/02
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In article <3kTW8.1$5_5...@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net> "seagrass" <seag...@easy.com.au> writes:
>I had a mast stuck together so tightly the other day that it took 4 sailors
>to twist it apart.

Attach two booms to it and you can probably do it alone or with just
one friend.

>Dave Frame reckons that silicon spray on all the joints and sliding parts
>helps him avoid the problem. Is it so? Or does he avoid the problem by
>always washing his gear?

Keep your gear clean. You don't want the connection to be too slippery,
as it may slide slightly open when you rig and then the mast will break
once you start sailing. Also, if you make it too greasy, it might
actually attract sand and dirt instead of repelling it.

I have lubricated my booms and it helps there. I used WD40. Might help
avoid corrosion too?

--
Juri Munkki jmu...@iki.fi What you see isn't all you get.
http://www.iki.fi/jmunkki Windsurfing: Faster than the wind.

sailquik (Roger Jackson)

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Jul 10, 2002, 6:49:10 AM7/10/02
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Soap as the lubricant, and vinyl electrical tape over the joint.
Gets along with all materials, excludes all grit!
All of the other things you mention "ATTRACT and HOLD" grit.
Use plain bath soap as a lubricant for all "sticky" things in windsurfing.

Regards,
Roger

sailquik (Roger Jackson)

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Jul 10, 2002, 6:51:24 AM7/10/02
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Hi Juri,
Soap will make your booms slide like a trombone!
WD-40 actually traps alot of moisture and grit.
Regards, Roger

Glenn Woodell

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Jul 10, 2002, 8:01:33 AM7/10/02
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In article <3D2C1126...@mindspring.com>, sail...@mindspring.com says...

>
>Soap as the lubricant, and vinyl electrical tape over the joint.
>Gets along with all materials, excludes all grit!
>All of the other things you mention "ATTRACT and HOLD" grit.
>Use plain bath soap as a lubricant for all "sticky" things in windsurfing.

Good suggestion. I have been using clear packing tape over my joints for years.
Soap is also great for making long screws go into wood much easier. :)

Glenn

Tom Whittemore

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Jul 10, 2002, 8:58:18 AM7/10/02
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recent USwindsurfing article talked about sailkote dry lub to protect
mast sleeve. Use on top 4 feet of mast and the sleeve is easier to get
on and off.

--
(\ ( Thomas M. Whittemore USWA/ABC ( sites:
{_\ ( East Greenbush,NY F2 Xantos/Axxis ( Saratoga Lk.
(__\ ( FIBERSPAR Sailworks/Rushwind ( Kalmus
{i__\ ( "911" racing on Equipe II US-TW ( Rio Vista
++^++++++ ( Adirondack Boardsailing Club ( AVON
Club Web site: http://www.abcsail.org
My Web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~vikingsail

All Wet Sports

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Jul 10, 2002, 11:16:02 AM7/10/02
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McLube Sailkote works great on mast. It is a DRY lubricant sorta like teflon
but last 10 times longer. @ coats on a mast should last about 1 year than just
repeat. ONE word of caution DO NOT Spray on Boom area of mast or your Booms
WILL slip. This stuff is goof for lots of other places. I know some use it for
there electric shavers and great for sliding doors at the beach.... because it
is A DRY lubricant it does NOT attract grit. The can mentions spraying
directly on sails to repel water but I have not tried it there yet.
I beleive you can get it at places like West Marine. If not I do carry it
here at All Wet Sports
Andy AllWetSports.org.

Hugo de Boer

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Jul 18, 2002, 9:41:01 AM7/18/02
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There's someting on the market they call Urbation Greeze. Ask at the local
surfshop for the specific type for masts.

seagrass <seag...@easy.com.au> schreef in berichtnieuws
3kTW8.1$5_5...@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net...

All Wet Sports

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Jul 18, 2002, 11:46:15 AM7/18/02
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Many people and myself included recomend spraying the top 1/2 of your mast with
"McLube Sailcote". It is a dry lubricant that does not attract dirt or grime.
Sailcote should last about a year before retreating a mast. Just simply spray
it on and repeat for 2 coats. You should be able to find it at Marine stores
if not I do carry it at WWW. AllWetSports.org
Andy

sailquik (Roger Jackson)

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Jul 18, 2002, 12:10:01 PM7/18/02
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You guys can try all the high technology "lubes" you like, but the best thing,
in my opinion, for keeping booms sliding like a trombone tuning slide and
keeping the grit and junk out of your mast joint is plain old bar soap like you

take a bath with. Works better, it's cheaper, and more convenient.
Try it, you will like it.
Also a wrap of cheap vinyl electrical tape over the mast joint keeps virtually
every thing out (including water), and has the added benefit that looser joints

will not creep apart when rigging/derigging.
Hope this helps,
Roger

WARDOG

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Jul 18, 2002, 12:49:22 PM7/18/02
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Yessiree Roger,
This is a low tech "solution" that works...

WARDOG
http://www.surfingsports.com

Hotelgolf

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Jul 18, 2002, 1:32:47 PM7/18/02
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that sailkote stuff is currently on sail(sp?) at WestMarine for about $6.

Piotr J

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Jul 18, 2002, 1:49:00 PM7/18/02
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Where? There's no sale listed for it on the westmarine website.

sailquik (Roger Jackson)

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Jul 18, 2002, 2:19:16 PM7/18/02
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Hello all you high tech sail lubers,
Hmmmm I don't get it.
Why do you need to lube your mast, other than the joint?
I sail all sizes of sails, both 3 cam and camless, and whenever I change
tacks
(either a jibe or a tack) in even marginally powered conditions, my
sails
ALWAYS
seem to change from one side of the mast to the other.
I've used cheap sails, North Sails, Sailworks Sails, Gaastra Sails,
Windwing
Sails and some other brands, and they always change sides, every time
the wind
gets on the other side of the sail.
So what's the big advantage of making your mast slippery?
If you want a slippery mast, just get some carnuba car wax, wax the mast
(DO
NOT
WAX THE AREA WHERE THE BOOM CLAMPS ON) and it will shine,
water will bead up, and the sail will rotate a little more nicely. I did
this
because I
was going to sell the mast and wanted it to look good, and I did wax the
whole mast
the first time, and my boom would slip down in a heartbeat, so I had to
use
acetone
to get the wax back off in that area.
But really, are you folks using masts with such a bad finish that they
wear
through the
luff sleeve or something?
I'm clueless. Please give me some rationale for this slippery mast
madness.
Roger

MTVNewsGuy

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Jul 18, 2002, 2:26:49 PM7/18/02
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Indeed! This can be the same bar of soap you use (I use!) to lubricate
wetsuit/drysuit zippers. Simple, handy, nontoxic, affordable, easy to find.<<


>>

Michael
US5613

Dan Weiss

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Jul 18, 2002, 4:07:23 PM7/18/02
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Roger, I think a lot of sailors use the stuff to help with inserting the
mast. Sailkote is rumored to accumulate on the inside of the top portion of
the luff sleeve and make rigging much less of a struggle. Cam rotation
might be a secondary reason.

--
Dan
"sailquik (Roger Jackson)" <sail...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:3D3706A4...@mindspring.com...

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