How to check for possible mast issues

Zoran’s findings on the previous pages are very interesting and I’m sure many owners don’t give loss of rig tension much thought. The issue of the actual compression post cutting the laminate is rare, as most builders do make suitable shoes for the open tube to locate into.

However, during a survey it is certainly one area a surveyor should look at for a number of reasons.

Apart from the obvious one of how the mast is being supported, it’s also important to consider if there is any moisture ingress into what the mast rests on regardless of whether this is located on the deck or within the bilge of the yacht and rested onto the keel area.