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Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=54160	Page 1 of 2

Author:	Hammbone [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:25 pm ]
Post subject:	Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
Going over my newly purchased Wave today, I found some damage to the Comp-tip. My guess is that this happened during transportation while the mast was sitting in the cradle. There was white paint all over this area that I cleaned off. I assume the paint rubbed off of the cradle. I'm wondering how bad this is. Am I screwed? I set the Comp-tip on saw horses and sat on it, and could not notice any flex in this area. It is soft in a small area where it was crushed. This area is about the size of my thumb, and I can push it in a little with my thumb. There are also hairline cracks around the area. Could I sail this and keep an eye on it, or am I going to have to buy a new Comp-tip? Jim

Author:	mmiller [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:30 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip damage
It looks significant, but it is fiberglass, so can be repaired. Where along the length is this spot?

Author:	Hammbone [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:32 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip damage
It's about 3 feet down from the top. Jim

Author:	srm [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:54 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip damage
Looks pretty bad to me. I wouldn't sail it in it's current condition. Soft spots and dents in solid composite laminate are sure signs there is fiber damage and delamination. I don't know about your saw horse/sit on the mast test, but I bet if you hoisted the sail, rotated the damage to the windward side, and sheeted in hard you'd hear some crunching. sm

Author:	mmiller [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 2:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip damage
Higher up is certainly better.

Author:	Hammbone [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 3:04 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip damage
How is something like this repaired? Is it just like any other fiberglass repair? Jim

Author:	mmiller [ Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:03 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip damage
Pretty much. Grind away black putty material make an internal patch and cap with an external patch. Putty and paint.

Author:	Hammbone [ Thu Mar 19, 2015 12:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip damage
Now I've found damage near the bottom of the aluminum mast. There's a crack about 10" long: I assume this can be welded? Does anyone know what type of aluminum this is, so I can tell the welder? Thanks, Jim

Author:	Jbernier [ Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
The aluminum is T60-61 That crack is caused by water being trapped inside the extrusion. The mast has been left up in winter and froze, then it expands and winds up cracking. Repair, not sure - might need a lower extrusion.

Author:	Hammbone [ Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:44 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
I bought this boat from a guy that said he never sailed it and had it just sitting outside in MN for the last 3 years (I don't know the history before that), so water freezing in the mast makes sense as the cause of this. Not sure what you mean by "lower extrusion". Do you mean the lower mast section? Thanks, Jim

Author:	mmiller [ Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
Yes, the lower mast... it's an aluminum extrusion.

Author:	Hammbone [ Thu Mar 19, 2015 1:55 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
So can this be welded, or not? Thanks, Jim

Author:	Hammbone [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 12:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
I took my mast to a guy that I've had weld aluminum for me in the past. He's an older guy with a lifetime of experience welding things. He said that extrusions like this are tempered, and the trick to welding them is not to get them too hot because they will loose their temper and strength. He said he could get it done for me though, and he did. He welded it up a few inches at a time, letting it cool after each 2" to 3" segment. Here's the result: I will prime and paint it, and I'm good to go! Jim

Author:	Hammbone [ Sat Mar 21, 2015 12:47 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
By the way, if anyone's wondering, I decided to buy a new Comp-tip. There's just no way to access and patch the inside of the Comp-tip. I could put a patch on the outside, but I see a lot of cracks in it, and I believe these cracks would just keep spreading over time, even with a patch over the top of them. It might last another year or two with an external patch, but my opinion is that it would fail eventually, so I opted for a new one. Jim

Author:	Hammbone [ Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:48 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Comp-tip (and aluminum mast) damage
My buddy just found some cracks in his comp-tip. They are thin surface cracks, about 6" long, right around the tang on the comp-tip on his Wave. We are wondering if the comp-tip has a gel coat type finish on it, and these are maybe just cracks in the gel coat finish, so they're not structural; or is this something to be concerned about? Thanks, Jim

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