Do you have any FRP tube dimensions to recommend? I recall PJR and the JRA some specific people on this forum expressing their personal opinions suggesting that fiberglass/polyester tubes were not strong enough adequate for use as battens.

My sail is 237 sq ft and I will need battens just a little more than 12 feet long.

David wrote:

Scott wrote:

David can you tell me, please, is your advice on making carbon fiber tubes still "Don't do it" ?

It's more like "Don't Do It!" Yes, CFRP tubes are great, when made with the correct resin, tooling and methods, and with an autoclave to post-cure, but it's too hard to do all that reliably at home.

OK. I will try to get myself mentally prepared to make at least one more aluminum purchase. After so many years of saving money 'for the boat' I find it hard to spend money, even on the boat.

I spent part of the weekend gluing fir plywood where the balsa core was before. I hope to have the structural part of the mast partners done sometime before the end of the month.

Last week I think I made progress on getting a tapered pole ordered. The lead time ended up being a little less than I expected.

I still need to get some battens and a yard somehow. I started watching videos on how to lay up carbon fiber and epoxy tubing at home. After that I found David's topic about his efforts to make a CFRP battens.

David can you tell me, please, is your advice on making carbon fiber tubes still "Don't do it" ?

When I built Tystie, some of the tube work was too big for the anodising bath, so it got powder coated. Over several years, the coating started bubbling where the water had got behind it (the anodised tubes stayed good).

Weaverbird has an untreated mast, and it is staying good above deck. A natural oxide film forms in the presence of dry air and the absence of any electrolysis; anodising is simply a speeded-up, controlled version of this oxidation process. Below decks in the forepeak, there is some salting on the surface due to a damper, stiller atmosphere, but I don't think it's doing any harm. For a better cosmetic appearance in an inhabited forecabin, it could be painted with etch primer then enamel.

Sailing on a fresh water lake, there's little or nor reason to paint or anodise an aluminium mast.

I have been procrastinating. Some more important things needed attention but honestly I think I have been lazy, too.

Anyway it seems I need to order an alloy lamp post right now so that the 12 week lead time does not use up ALL of the summer.

Does anyone have an opinion on white powder coat vs unfinished aluminum alloy?

I think the powder coat would be good initially. I would expect less friction and fewer stains from oxidation. But in the long run I have no idea how I would refinish a powder coated mast once the original finish is warn through.