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I don't know what wood Bell Woodworking used to make Spark's mast, but it's looking better and better as I repair it. I finally got all the holes plugged with fresh wood and glued the split in the bolt track back to the mast proper. The first layer of varnish helps a lot even if I still need to glue it back into one piece.

Repairs:






And varnish. With it being freshly sanded wood (Spruce or fir) it just sucked it in greedily.

Thanks Art.

Pardon the pun but that mast is truly a "work of Art"

ran into another split in the boom too. This one showed up as I was putting fresh wood into the screw holes. Same thing, the bolt track that is carved into the square section boom came away. Glad I found it now and not on the first sail.









The fact that the stainless steel fitting for the boom end sheeting fits over the end of the boom probably will help hold it together even if the thickened epoxy doesn't

Art Haberland wrote:ran into another split in the boom too. This one showed up as I was putting fresh wood into the screw holes. Same thing, the bolt track that is carved into the square section boom came away. Glad I found it now and not on the first sail.









The fact that the stainless steel fitting for the boom end sheeting fits over the end of the boom probably will help hold it together even if the thickened epoxy doesn't

That word probably will get you every time. Remember Mr. Murphy also sails the Seven Seas.

Besides epoxy the split did you consider wrapping the area in some fiberglass?

wdscobie wrote:Besides epoxy the split did you consider wrapping the area in some fiberglass?

Difficult to wrap the area as it is also the bolt track for the sail. It's literally carved into the wood, so wrapping it would restrict the sail's movement.

On a related, but good news front. I discovered that I own just enough clamps (but don't tell anybody that). I used all 58 of them to reglue the mast this morning.

wdscobie wrote:Besides epoxy the split did you consider wrapping the area in some fiberglass?

I'd be tempted to do as he says and cut the slot clear while the epoxy was green (partially cured), or after it hardened. That would add a lot of strength.