Wooden Mast Partners

[Ian McColgin]

To clarify terminology, partners refers to the whole structure of bracing around the deck or coachroof hole the mast goes through, collar, wedges and all. The hole needs to be large enough to get the mast in and out easily. The mast is then wedged nice and snug. As Brion explained, a keel stepped mast can be of lighter sections because it's held in two places.

On the boot, there are overpriced rubber boots that are nice for plastic boats with tin sticks. It's acutally easier to make a boot for a square or rectangular section mast - just four pieces - than for a round section that really works best with a six piece boot. That's the basic pieces, not counting a top and bottom bands.

G'luck