Hey all,

I was out windsurfing over the holidays after new year pretty much everyday and one day i put my mast together i found that it was a little harder than normal to slot together but i thought nothing of it and carried on. After i came back at the end of my session i packed up as normal but found that the mast wouldn't come apart and now it is stuck together. Any suggestions? iv tried wd40 but that didn't seem to do much.

Regards,

Andrew

Thanks ill give that a go, yeah it was because i was going out so often i was like eh "she'll be right attitude" apparently wasn't the way to go about it.

cheers

Standardly stuck:

Get three guys per side, twist in opposite directions and bingo.


Really stuck:
Support on both ends, bounce on it, turn 90 degrees, bounce, try to twist it apart.


Utterly stuck:
Make up an adapter to force mains pressure water down the top of the mast (remove the top bung first). Shake the mast while drinking beer. It normally takes two or three beers before the mast separates.


1 piece mast:
Tie one end to a solid tree using a "prusik hitch" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prusik_knot), tie the other end to your car's towball. Rev and go!


Next time you rig up:
Wrap the joint with electrical tape, this stops sand getting into the gap that a bent mast has between the ferrule and mast at the front of the mast.

this should be a sticky topic.

you can fit up to 10 men on a mast.

get them to twist.

offer cash prizes to the winning team. or beer!

i remember someone posting this about 3 years ago.

- tie fat and of mast to something like tree near a cliff

- tie thin end to rear end of xd falcon

- get mother-in-law to drive xd falcon off cliff

- rope should slip off thin end and leave mast in tact hanging from tree

- follow elmos instructions

everyone wins

Naw, the best technique only requires one person, a piece of wood and a hammer and has separated every mast I've ever had stuck, courtesy of Reg from Windsurfing Perth:

- Put your mast extension into the bottom of the mast
- lay mast on grass or carpet
- Place a piece of wood against the base of the mast extension
- Put a bit of pressure on one foot resting on the mast near the mast extension end
- then smack the end of the mast extension with a hammer or mallet (shielded with the piece of wood)
- You'll find a gap magically appears between the top and bottom mast halves.
- If need be, smack the end of the mast again a few times with varying amounts of force to spread the pieces apart enough to separate them with your hands.

It may sound like it defies the laws of physics, but it makes sense when you think about it. Smacking the end of the mast while restraining the bottom half with your foot results in a very sudden longitudinal force causing the top half to continue its motion due to inertia overcoming the sticky join.

I have been gob-smacked how Reg has been able to get every stuck 2-piece mast unstuck using this technique when my similar attempts have failed. He also has a nylon mast plug that he uses as a substitute for a mast extension and piece of wood for the really tough cases (if I remember correctly).

-Mart

i always tied the thicker bottom part to a tree trunk and and with a forcefull snappy pull always gets the job done just make sure it doesn't bounce of a rock or hard surface

two boom route i never thought of that if was alone with a friend...hmmm will try that in case

Mrrt's idea sounds good!

'Ere's another one I learned from a French guy named Julien:

Get somebody to hold the base. Hold the tip and wiggle wiggle wiggle. Fast vibrations; no need to flex the middle, this will loosen it.

nobody said...

elmo said...

Wet the joint with water.

Support both ends

And bounce on the mast like you've never bounce before.

10-15mins of good aerobic workout later you will notice a wee gap starting to form, keep going,

a bit later try to move the masts,

still not moving? repeat the above.


Good reminder to clean the joint before assembly

I just wanted to say be careful with this advise above as by following it I have just cracked the top half of my 460 SDM mast. I think it is 3 months old. Oh well, maybe next time I should just be happy for it to be a one piece mast that works than a two piece that doesn't.

errr, isn't Elmo the self proclaimed king of gear breakage? And he advised bouncing up and down on the middle of a mast supported at each end ??????????

easty said...

nobody said...

elmo said...

Wet the joint with water.

Support both ends

And bounce on the mast like you've never bounce before.

10-15mins of good aerobic workout later you will notice a wee gap starting to form, keep going,

a bit later try to move the masts,

still not moving? repeat the above.


Good reminder to clean the joint before assembly

I just wanted to say be careful with this advise above as by following it I have just cracked the top half of my 460 SDM mast. I think it is 3 months old. Oh well, maybe next time I should just be happy for it to be a one piece mast that works than a two piece that doesn't.

errr, isn't Elmo the self proclaimed king of gear breakage? And he advised bouncing up and down on the middle of a mast supported at each end ??????????

Yes, thanks Easty. Kick me when I'm down. That kind of came to my mind when I went back to find the advise again before posting.