Guys, thanks for the info. My aim is to be able to car top, mainly because I have to take a ferry to get on and off the Island, so trailer or overhangs = more dollars.

In theory, could such a mast be made two piece? My ideal would be a slightly shorter version of the Weta mast.

Has anyone put any thought into an unstayed mast? I would have thought previously that it wouldn't be stiff enough for the righting moment of a cat - or to trap off. But the Devoti One is carrying 11m2 and a 15m2 kite with no stays and designed for heavyweight crews, so it could be a possibility. It would be great just to able to drop the mast in and go.

I started to make a mast in two pieces, but I did not complete it, I could still do it, I don't think there is a problem doing it. It will be a little heavier thats all.
There has been talk about an unstayed mast, but so far not interest enough to do one.

Wouter Hijink proposed this setup. He participates in this forum, just write to him.
All the best,

Thanks, just found the earlier thread that included what I wanted to know om Wouter's proposal.

I'll have to put some more thought into that - hadn't factored in the effect a trapeze could have on sail shape on an unstayed mast.

I was told that the trapeze lines would be attached to tape reinforcements sewn to the sail sleeve. Use of the trapeze bends the mast to windward and back and this must be considered when making the sail.

I'm really attracted to a freestanding rig, I can't think of an elegant solution for the mast base. Wouter's solution would work fine but I think it would get in the way while sailing. Will have to get the calculator out for some other solutions. Countering the fore and aft loads seems to me to be the biggest problem.

Another solution was proposed by PHil Brander that uses a hollow dolphin striker. Wouter's solution is structurally better, it is already used in a small Hobie and other boats.

I didn't realise Hobie did a freestanding rig, thanks for the tip - found it on their site: http://www.hobiecat.com/sailboats/bravo/

It's not the most elegant of solutions!

I thought of a hollow drop in tube down thru the beam onto a dolphin striker. I ruled it out as I was trying to avoid having a dolphin striker at all. I also thought it would have to be really big to take the fore and aft loads without any additional fore and aft bracing - then the solution is to have a kind of diagonal dolphin striker. But then the design is getting more and complex and the idea of the freestanding mast was simplicity.

So now I am back to square one in my reasoning - a conventional stayed rig might be simpler all round. It may be better to think of rapid rigging systems.

With the present solution it takes about 15 min from cartop to sailing.
Btw. in Finland the mast is ok on top of the car.

It is quite elegant in terms of structural stresses.
I must agree that engineers are the only ones to consider efficient solutions inherently beautifull, though.