Need used classic mast to use on oyster 55 1990

[johnnymac]

I need a used CLASSIC mast for a 1990 oyster 55.She has the hood furling mast/sail at moment in very good condition.Money is very tight at the moment hence i need a USED classic mast and sail if possible in good condition.if you know of any persons who can put me in contact with purchasing mast / sail.
thank you johnnmac

[PAR]

If you have a Hood, self stowing mast "in very good condition" why do you need another mast? What is your idea of a "CLASSIC" mast?

[johnnymac]

par, a classic mast,with a real batten main sail and 3 reefing points on the sail

[PAR]

Do you mean a traditional extruded aluminum mast with bolt rope groove or track? A wooden mast, what?



The one listed above is 5" x 8" (example only), about $80 per foot and comes in 44' lengths.

Finding a used mast would be difficult, given the size and length necessary. Again, if your current mast is good, why replace it? Tired of the howling it makes?

[Almacantar]

Hi Johnnymac,

I also have a 1990 Oyster 55. Also have a Hood "Stoway" mast. Original but still excellent, after several Atlantic Circuits and a circumnavigation, plus a lot of other work. When I bought her I was also concerned about the rollreef main. Enough concerned to look into having it remasted. An expensive proposition indeed! So I decided instead to ditch the Dacron sail, which was bagged as you might expect, and replace it with a Vectran sail with vertical battens. 4000 miles and lots of storms and passages later, no problems at all. The sail holds its shape in this very stiff material beautifully, with none of the baggy floppy mass of a standard reef at the boom sail. In fact, I would definitely NOT change it for what you call a "classic" main now at all. Instead of 3 gears, I have an unlimited range of fine-tuning, which is amazingly easy to achieve. I can reef or shake out in seconds single handed. The fact that the system is outhaul controlled means I can reach efficiently with less angle on the boom. The sailplan on these yachts is intentionally high, giving an excellent light winds performance for an otherwise weighty, powerful hull. Hauling a traditional sail up and down is hard work indeed for a sail of that size. Are you intending the vessel as a sail trainer? Do you have a large quantity of energetic young men at your disposal? If not, I can't really understand why you would remove such a strong, efficient, and reliable piece of engineering, so well balanced in terms of its weight to the hull, and at considerable expense!?

Par is of course right, in certain winds from certain angles, when moored alongside and not at anchor, the slot can "howl" but this is not especially common, and I find it really not an issue (any more than the usual harmonics in the standing or running rigging of any yacht may be) and have passed hundreds of peaceful nights aboard.

If I were you (and I have been, so to speak!) I would be content with what you've got. Which is really a superb rig!

[PAR]

This is a thread that is fairly old, without the original poster returning. I lived aboard a yacht with two Stoway sticks aboard and the prevailing wind was unfortunately enough to drive me nuts. When I turned around in the slip I got the land breeze, so I hoisted a cover, basically a ribbon of Sunbrella on the topping lifts.

[remembrance]

Hard to find parts and over 20 years in business...
Eric Pearson furling service for stoway in mast systems
Jamestown RI
401-423-1568
Stoway2@yahoo.com