Proa Mast Fabrication- The final chapter

After several months of fabrication, I have finally completed the construction on Madness's mast. As usual, I am in the reflective phase. I've been analyzing the entire project, dissecting every step and figuring out where I could have improved the process. The final weeks have been a flurry of activity, working in circles until late in the night. I would set up one phase, and while the epoxy was curing, I would move on to another task. It was a dizzying array of simultaneous projects, that kept my mind busy, always planning my next step.

This week marked a new phase, the one where I took a back seat while the mast received a fresh coat of Awl Grip paint. I was anxious to see it all come together. It would do so very quickly over the period of three nights.

The Foot-Prior to smoothing and final fitting of Sheave

The gooseneck-It required some more Carbon fiber layers. All the force of the rig passes through this part

The inner workings of the Crane

An overhead view of the Crane

First some primer....

Then some Paint.....

The finished Foot. there are four layers of carbon Fiber reinforcing this part.

The Gooseneck

The winch base

The Halyard clutches installed for the last time.

The "Tiki Mask". It's the pass through for the Spinnaker Halyard

The spinnaker Halyard Sheave

Another look at the Foot

The blue line is the Main Halyard

The exit for the Main halyard

A look at the crane with the Halyard This will be capped to keep is clean and dry

Now I turn it all over to John, where the mast will meet the boat again and be subjected to all the stress the powerful sails can dish out. To make things a little more tense, all of the new parts are going to be tested as an article is being written for WoodenBoat Magazine. No pressure, none at all.....