Carbon fiber mast and hold down turnbuckle

Newsgroups Archive Prior to 2025
1

I have a Wiggers built NS 33, 2000 with a carbon fiber mast of unknown manufacture. I tried to pull the mast for the first time since a spring purchase. The mast with it’s Spartite wedge came out of the partners with some struggle, but either the diameter of the collar is smaller below decks or there is a second layer of Spartite, I can’t really see. At any rate, I can’t pull the mast up with the tie-down hardware attached. I see that the original owners manual shows a T-ball that slides into a slot on the mast, easily removed, but this carbon fiber mast has a 1/2”(?) bolt attaching a a.s. tang to the mast. The hardware protrudes from the mast about 1 1/4”. I am reticent to unbolt the tang, as it sits perhaps 2 feet above the bottom and I’m not sure what the belt threads onto- Could it just be threaded into the wall of the mast, or might there be a plate or nut glued the the interior wall?
Doers anyone else have a similar setup, with a carbon fiber mast? I would appreciate some feedback.
The yard crew, 4 guys, and a crane spent two hours on this already$$$$$$!

Nick Burnett
SUGARBLUES
NS33 Wiggers, 2000
South Portland, Maine

2

Nick: Do you have any photos??

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

3

Hi Nick,

My boat originally had an aluminum mast. That mast failed and was replaced with the carbon fiber mast designed by Ted Van Dusen, Composite Engineering in Massachusetts. I bet he was responsible for your mast.

The new mast uses the same type of hold down as the aluminum mast. The metal hold down is a3/16” 1x19 wire, turnbuckle and t-ball fitting. The t-ball fits into a slot in the mast a couple of feet above the butt. The turnbuckle attaches to a tang adjacent to the aft side of the mast step collar.

Yesterday the Fall Edition of the Nonsuch Update arrived. I read an account by Mark in the Netherlands who restored a 36 the he found in the Caribbean. That boat had a CF mast and Spartite mast wedge system. It turns out that the Spartite was bonded to both the mast collar at the deck and to the mast thereby effectively gluing the mast in place. He ended up unbolting the mast collar from the deck in order to extract the mast from the boat. After the fact, he chopped the Spartite out of the space between the mast and collar.

The Spartite instructions indicate to coat the mast and collar with petroleum jelly prior to pouring the collar. That way you don’t end up with the mast glued in place.

Before I poured my collar, Mike Quill told me to modify the deck collar by machining out the segments intended to hold the wood wedges apart. The inside of the collar was machined to remove the segments and to insure the ID tapered from larger at the top to smaller at the bottom. That way the poured collar assumed the shape of a cork. Once the Spartite lifts slightly it is completely free of contact with the mast collar.

Ward Woodruff
413-847-0620 cell

4

Seems like someone decided 2 bands of Spartite were better than one! I don’t even know how they did it.

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second band of Spartite, seen from below.

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First band of Spartite.

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5

Joe

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Top layer of Spartite, seen when mast has been raised several inches.

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Tang attaching turnbuckle hold-down. Must be a nut behind because attemping to screw it out doesn’t work- spins.
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View of collar from below showing another layer of Spartite, which is attached to the collar, rather than to the mast. The Tang prevents removal of the mast.
The plan is to somehow drill and chisel out this Spartite, since we can’t remove the Tang. Why would someone do this?

Nick,
Sugar Blues NS33,W, 2000
Portland, ME

6

Ward

Thanks for your input. Please see my response and pictures I sent responding to Joe’s email.

Nick

7

All,

For a number of reasons, not worth getting into, NS 26 #54 “March Time” is tentatively scheduled to be cut up and disposed of with everything else being sold. I’ve begged John, the owner, not to do that. I’ve emphasized that it is a Nonsuch and it is a special kind of boat and deserves a continued life. He agrees but circumstances dictate that this is the path for the boat. However, he has given me a short period of time to see if I can get March Time sold as a whole boat. To get right to the point, John will accept any reasonable offer. He needs it gone. This is an opportunity of a life-time for someone to own a complete Nonsuch 26. Please help me find a buyer, not for parts, for this treasure.

Below you will find a write up (in red) given to me by John. The boat needs some work but to my knowledge has no damage. It has never been used by the present owner. It has a new sail with the fast-track rig (never used). I think it needs batteries. When I last saw the boat all the thru holes were exposed as John was planning on replacing all the fittings. (that shouldn’t be a big deal). The boat is dirty just from sitting there (no big deal). Cabin sole needs replaced but he is including the wood to do it. (most of us know the value of that stuff).

Please don’t mis-read this presentation as a sales pitch. I am only trying to save a boat. I have no financial involvement what-so-ever unless John buys me a beer when this is over.

Ideally, I would love to see this boat stay whole and proudly sailing the Chesapeake Bay. More importantly is for this boat to stay complete, anywhere, as a proud Nonsuch. Anyone trying to buy the parts will be wasting their time, at least for now.

Help me save this boat. Pass the word. John’s contact information is below.

1982 Nonsuch 26 - Project Boat

Boat has been out the of water since 2016. Boat is dirty from normal yard traffic.

She is on stands at Flag Harbor Marine in Calvert County, MD. The mast is off the boat on stands. The wishbone is on the deck of the boat.

The Universal 30HP diesel was professionally winterized but has not been started since 2016.

Batteries need replacing.

Max prop three blade folding prop with maintenance kit included.

The interior is clear of everything except built in cabinets. Cushions and anything easy to remove has been stored in a dry storage area but included with sale. The cabin sole has been removed, pieces kept for patterns. Two sheets of teak and holly plywood are included, need cutting, installation and finishing.

The hull was stripped and epoxy coated and one coat of bottom paint applied in 2017. Sides will probably come back to life with compound and wax. Boot and cove stripes need to be repainted. All plastic through hull fittings (part of package) have been removed and need installation.

Mast is off boat, in good shape, new wishbone bumpers, wishbone hangers, and topping lift are part of package but need installation. Include Tides Strong TRACK

New Nonsuch replacement water and gray water tanks are provided but need installation.

Included but never installed a Rolly Tasker off shore sail that has never been mounted, Tides Strong Track slides and track are installed.

Raymarine wind, depth, and knot meters included but not installed.

Boat has a Stainless Steel Outfitters swim platform and ladder installed in 2019.

All parts will go with the boat. It needs labor and TLC. The goal is to sell the boat and anything associated with it. No reasonable offer for the whole package will be refused. Not interested in parting out.

26C Serial # ZHYN2054M8 Sail #54

Contact:

Owner:

John Haderly

240-538-8484

haderly@live.com

Boat Location:

Flag Harbor Marina

1565 Flag Harbor Blvd.

St. Leonard, MD

Cheers,

Butch

Butch Garren

Nonsuch 30 #196 “Whiskers II”

SIYC Slip 12

Solomons, MD

8

Hi Ward

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Does this look like the collar on your NS33? People have talked about unbolting the collar. Mine appears to be glass. The Hinterhoeller owners manual, 43
4, shows the bolted collar and original wedges. Thoughts, anyone? The glasswork looks original.An old invoice shows that the boatyard charged 55.00 in Labor and 170.99 in materials to “remove mast boot and replace with Spartite”, so they clearly did no extra work.

Nick

9

Where the mast butt sits is quite different from the 30s and the 33s that I’ve seen.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA


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10

Looks like they were fanatics about the mast moving or water leaks. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

11

WOW!! That could be a good deal for someone.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA


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![image002.png|128x124](upload://mVgvdAVcI1XiQifmZcHfWWKbd0l.png)

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12

Sugar Blues started out life as Storm Cat. There are a few pictures of her in the Nonsuch Photo Galleries. In one of the photos you can see the mast collar at the deck level. It looks like the same one that is in place now.

I suspect the boat was shipped from Ontario to Florida so the mast would have bee pulled then.

In the photos you have provided it looks like an acorn style nut holding the tang on. This suggests the bolt behind is retained to the mast.
Removing the nut may still leave the bolt sticking out.
Photos of the 354s and 324s which have carbon masts all look like they had the standard Nonsuch aluminium mast collar. I could not find a picture of a mast tied down.
I took a look at the Nonsuch 354 and the 324 manuals on the INA site but could not find a picture of the tie down system.is your manual supplied by Wiggers or is it a 33 Nonsuch manual? The 33s came with an aluminium mast so you may not be able to rely on the 33 manual.I would be tempted to directly contact members of the INA that own a A 354 with a carbon mast to ask what is used on their boat, could they provide you with a couple of photos and go through their mast removal process.

Mark Powers

13

PS, I did a search of these conversations use “carbon mast tie down” and came across a few discussions where owners of boats with carbon masts said their tie downs used T balls fitted to slots in the mast. Your system may be a one off or be limited to Wigger boats with carbon masts. White Gold II, A wiggers 33 with carbon, mast is listed for sale on Yacht World. You might want to contact the broker , explain your situation and ask if they could send a couple of photos.

Mark Powers

14

Good idea Mark. I will contact the broker.

Nick

15

Mark

Yes, I discovered the Storm Cat info before I purchased the boat, so I’ve seem those photos.
The tang on the mast is held on by a bolt, not a an acorn nut screwed onto a bolt. The Spartite was applied by St. Augustine Marine Center, but the yard foreman who supervised the work refuses to speak with me and the yard has been sold since the boat was worked on.
Wiggers did not put together their own manual. I only have the Hinterhoeller one that came with the boat.

Nick

16

Perhaps this should be posted as a new thread and listed as an item for sale to get more interest from the membership?

Also, advertising on the local FB Marketplace and Kijiji for a wider reach would likely get responses.

I too, would like to see the boat’s life extended if there aren’t any major structural issues.

Ken Julian
Blue Note - NS26C#9
Fredericton, NB

17

Ward, or others who may know

Do you have the dimensions (or the manufacturer) for the t-ball fitting, or the dimensions of the slot in the mast used for the hold down? I can find 3/16” ones as well as a backing plate used for attaching forestays.

Nick

18

I am really happy to announce that Nonsuch 26 #54 has been sold to a gentleman, Joris and wife Susan, from Maine. He contacted me last evening and flew to Maryland this morning. Handed over a check to John, the previous owner. A nonsuch has been saved and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all the kind words and your efforts made to pass the word to find a buyer. This one was too close to the gallows. Whew!

Cheers,

Butch

Butch Garren

Nonsuch 30 #196 “Whiskers II”

SIYC Slip 12

Solomons, MD

19

I am really happy to announce that Nonsuch 26 #54 has been sold to a gentleman, Joris and wife Susan, from Maine. He contacted me last evening and flew to Maryland this morning. Handed over a check to John, the previous owner. A nonsuch has been saved and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all the kind words and your efforts made to pass the word to find a buyer. This one was too close to the gallows. Whew!

Cheers,

Butch

Butch Garren

Nonsuch 30 #196 “Whiskers II”

SIYC Slip 12

Solomons, MD

20

I am really happy to announce that Nonsuch 26 #54 has been sold to a gentleman, Joris and wife Susan, from Maine. He contacted me last evening and flew to Maryland this morning. Handed over a check to John, the previous owner. A nonsuch has been saved and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all the kind words and your efforts made to pass the word to find a buyer. This one was too close to the gallows. Whew!

Cheers,

Butch

Butch Garren

Nonsuch 30 #196 “Whiskers II”

SIYC Slip 12

Solomons, MD