maintenance

I'm getting a little corrosion between the mast and base plate. Also at the tip of the spreader arms.

What to do?

me too. also where the stays enter into the mast.
Only answer I think is to take it all apart and put it all back together with a special sealant/insulator.

Pete,
You may want to check you spreader adjustment turnbuckles. One of mine had seized and I broke the threaded stainless steel part trying to free it up.

Sorry to hear it. No problems there. . .yet. Any preventive measures available?

WD40 lube on everything metal, let it soak in before you try to turn it. I always wash my mast boom, hulls, etc. as soon as I get home from a salt water event.

On stainless steel turnbuckles and beam bolts, I always use anti-seize paste.

Anodized alu should not corrode in many years, unless there are cuts in the metal made after the anodizing?

That could be the case. There are screw holes through which the base plate attaches.

It is common practice to place zinc below the waterline on marine drive shafts. I wonder if a small piece of zinc might be of benefit?

Your mast suffers from galvanic corrosion. The zinc anode would only help for parts which are constantly below water. As mentioned above WD40 helps, good paint would help as well. The idea is to have an insulation between alu and steel. It is also true for aluminium and carbon. In both cases aluminium will corrode. The paint or WD 40 is only needed where both materials came into contact. Scratches in aluminium are not prone for corrosion (if the right alloy is used for your parts. But it is most likely that your mast is from the right aluminium alloy).
Of course best way is to have no galvanic combinations at all, but rarely seen.

Cheers,

Klaus

Thanks Klaus.

There was a discussion about this on the main board, but I can't find it.

Anybody?

The Taipans were made with anti-corrosion paste between all the surfaces where SS might touch Al- a sort of yellow compound- I have been unable to get the exact same stuff here in the US, but they do have similar compounds and it should go on every screw,plate, etc. that contacts Al- ideally even between cast and extruded Al IMO. I haven't had a problem with my Taipan in 10 years but then I only "visit" salt water and, as Timbo says, religiously flush it with fresh water ASAP. I would suggest carefully taking corroding components apart (see WD-40 note above), cleaning very well to remove any corrosion/salt, dry carefully and reassemble with plenty of anti-corrosive gel (Tef-Gel is one brand I have used here).

Kirt

That stuff is called Duralac

Wouter

Thanks Wouter!
Just found it in the US at Hamilton Marine in Maine- http://www.hamiltonmarine.com/
and ordered some. Rick/Mary- Would be nice if you guys would stock it!

Kirt

Okay then! Borrowing liberally from the main board I have a to do list for "Winter".

I take the month of February off from sailing. It's too cold and my wife has other things for me to do. Her birthday and Valentine's coming a week apart.

* take a good look at the boat and treat any corrosion.
* tighten the trampoline
* figure out just how I'm going to reroute my spin sheets. A pig tail at the clue attached mid way of the sheet is a certainty. Whether or not it continues to be led to the rear of the tramp is yet to be determined.
* the snuffer configuration needs to be reworked so I don't destroy another spinnaker. There are a couple of good ideas on the main board that need field testing.
* followind Chris Amador's lead, the outhaul will be dead ended rather than adjustable.
* the spin halyard needs to be led through the existing grommets mid way of the tramp, rather than to the rear. If anyone has done this already, have you had any chaffing problems? I have some damage to the tramp underneath, just forward of the turning block.
* the tale tell needs to be moved to the end of the spin pole. They constantly wrap around the bridle and are useless.

Did I forget anything? Besides tightening shackles and checking for frayed gilhickeys?

Double check your tiller crossbar, look for any signs of cracking at the mid point hole where the tiller extension fitting is attached. Mine snapped right there at the hole during a gybe and I lost the tiller extension overboard before I could grab it.

Pete I wont be around in Feb but March rolls around I will be glad to help you out. Let me know.

Stay safe. See you when you get back.