Problems + Time = Solutions

It's not quite that easy, but it can't be denied that backing off a difficult challenge and thinking about it for a time usually comes up with something. So while it might appear that nothing is happening, gears are turning--some say very slowly. And, progress is happening, often invisibly.

Such is the case with the hardtop's final fairing and epoxy coatings. I have gone up to the shop and looked at the structure several times and walked away each time, feeling somewhat daunted. Seventy square feet is a big area. This thing is going to need washing, drying, sanding, epoxy coating, fairing applications, more sanding, washing, drying more fairing, more sanding, more coatings and painting. So I moved this part of the project to the back of my mind and began work on a couple of other substantial tasks that will have to happen before the top goes on: A new light mast and the grab rails.

Ms. Bettencourt was wearing what I am certain was the original equipment light mast when she came to me in 2003. I never liked it. The cross-arm (is that called a spreader?) is totally non-functional. Stainless steel cable is threaded through it and down to the mast body, through a couple of little turnbuckles that defied rust control. When I took the mast off to strip and paint it, the thing appeared to be composed more of body filler and glue than wood and wires. The new mast is going to be much simpler and more substantial.

My neighbor Hargroves gave me a 6-foot piece of 1 1/4" x 8" rough-sawn mahogany.  I had the plank planed smooth on both sides and the edges. Then I used the vertical part of the old mast to pattern a rough shape for the new mast. I cut out two identical 1-inch thick mahogany shapes from this pattern. Using a veneer blade in the band saw, I sliced a quarter inch of thickness off one of the shapes. This produced two pieces, one thinner than the other.

This photo was taken after I had done a lot of shaping on the the two pieces, and routed out a lengthwise slot in the thicker piece to carry wiring to the light fixture.

A band saw, a router, a hand sander and a drill were the only power tools used to rough out the new mast.

The largest part of the shaping was done with a small block plane and a quarter-sheet sander. I think I worked on it about day, off and on.

When the two pieces are put together (below photo), the mast's shape becomes more apparent.

That's the old mast in the vise to the left. The old mast is about 1 inch thick at the base. The new one is 1 3/4 inches at the base.

I really had to whittle on my mahogany blanks to get the shape to morph from a baseball bat kind of feeling to something somewhat more nautical, but still substantial.

So here is what it looks like (photo below), temporarily assembled and mounted with its tabernacle brackets on a scrap of 2x6.

I regret there is a lot of background clutter in this picture, but if you click to enlarge you should be able to pick out the details of the new mast, compared to the old on the right.

With the combination steaming and anchor light fixture on top, the new mast is not much taller than the old. But it is definitely more muscular in appearance. There will be attachments on the aft side for a pennant or burgee.


When the mast is installed, the wiring will connect through a water-tight deck plug. This will allow me to easily remove the mast when it needs refinishing.

I plan to coat the mast with Sikkens Cetol Marine Natural Teak finish, the same stuff I use for the grab rails, the flag staff and the wooden cleats.

So, mast work is some of what I have been doing while I have not been doing epoxy work.

I have also started on rail work. I will report on that in my next post.

And, somewhere deep in my subconscious, there is an idea forming about how to manage that looming epoxy work. Time will provide a solution.