Mast proportions

[Guest]

Hi. I'm designing a sailboat in Rhino for a "techlab" project at my high school. I've already designed the hull, keel, and rudder and now I'm moving onto the mast. I have a few questions about how to design it that I thought that people here might be able to answer (I've used this forum/site as a reference point throughout my project). My first question is what shape should the mast be? I'd rather not go with a plain circle, and I was thinking that maybe a modified ellipse would work well, but I wanted to ask. Also, if I'm making a mast that is 26' tall, how what should the mast dimensions be like in order to insure structural integrity. This is not exact, but I'd like to be at least somewhat realistic. If you need a material in order to make the decision, use carbon fiber. Thanks for your help.

[Not A Guest]

A mast 26' long could be anywhere from 2" - 5" in diameter in wood.

[dougfrolich]

Rigrite.com is the Kenyon Spars web site and has a wealth of info. including available spar sections and specifications. The Boat Data Book by Ian Nicolson is also a good reference for general specs. Good luck on your project.

[Guest]

Thanks for the help. I'll give those references a look.