I'm new to this forum, and was directed here by Performance Cats. Yesterday a sudden and terrific storm tipped by Prindle 15 over on the beach at Cultus Lake, and bent the mast. Per advice from Performance Cats, I will try to straighten it out since it is not a kink, but a bend over 1/3 to 1/2 of the mast.

Meanwhile, I'd like to see if there might be a mast in decent condition out there.

If anyone knows of a P-15 mast that is straight and reasonable condition, I would like to hear about it.

My P-15 is in great shape. I also have a P-16, but the 15 is more fun single-handed.

Thanks in advance,

dan

Aren't the 15 and 16's masts the same section?

No, the 15 section is similar to the P-18, but smaller. They both are very tear drop shaped. The P-16 section much less tear drop shape. I asked the factory about using the P-18 or P-16, but they did not recommend it.

Performance Cat factory suggested installing diamond wires. As I recall the Freestyle (15 I think) had diamond wires.

Unfortunate that the factory destroyed the extrusion tooling for the P-15 mast when it went out of production.

dan

Send me a PM, I think one of the guys in our yard has a P-18 Mast if that will work for you. May require your coming to So Cal to get it. IMPO - Of course they are to going to recommend it, opens them up liability.

You can put a 16 mast on an 18, a 18 mast on a 16, a 19 on and 18-2 etc.....

Thanks, I will do the PM. I agree the factory will not openly admit mast swapping will work.

Anyway, at this moment I have good results to report. I set up the mast between the rear support and a tree stump. I placed a piece of carpet on the center of the bent portion. Then, I used my small tractor bucket to bear down on the carpet... carefully. Believing I had nothing to loose, since it was so badly bent, I experimented with increasing pressure until it finally straightened out.

Expect for a small portion near the top, which I believe has been there since I bought it in used condition. I put pressure on that area until I was concerned it might yield and fold.

So, it is reasonably straight, and I wonder if any mast is perfectly straight. I no longer race, and pointing more in one direction is not a big deal to me anymore.

But, just in case it folds on me from being bent and bent back (which I assume has to weaken the mast), I will continue to look for a replacement.

Thanks,

dan