After reading this article, I found myself being slightly surprised that no one has ever thought of thinking up a retractable mast! If you had it like the aerial for a radio and it could fold into it’s self, then it could be a very useful piece of kit. Am I going mad, but is there method in my madness?

It would be physically possible to build a telescopic mast af adequate strength but on anything bigger than a dingy, mounting it, particularly if the old one has just taken half of the deck with it, may not be so easy. And even if it could be securely mounted, I think that lifting it into position would be practically impossible on anything other than a miltiple masted vessel.

I have needed time to think about the mast idea. I think it would be possible not to have a telescopic approach, maybe more segments. Similar design to some of the Japanese builds in the way it would be made up of layers with a central column. Use titanium wire that is strong and can be coiled.
No as simple as the telescopic mast, but possible I think. Would be very expensive though.

The mast would be the easy bit Roxanna. It's what you would do with it in weather that's likely to be bad enough to have just destroyed your permanent mast and probably taken god knows what else with it. Would you have enough left to fix it to? how would mount it? how would you erect it? how would you rig it? and have you actually got any canvas left.

If the weather was that bad, you could take the mast down. As long as the bottom section has a wide enough base, it will be able to be bolted to the deck. This section would have to be pretty hefty so that it can concertina into it’s self. Erecting it?... I’m still thinking on that one. Rigging would be hard, but not impossible. May have to book an interview with a mast maker to explore this thread more!

The mast it's self is very easy, as a gut feeling and without any calculations a series of tapered tubes about 2 metres long all stored indside each other. The taper would need to be such that the tubes join together with an overlap of around 2 to 3 diameters. Not a dificlt engineering feat, just like a big fishing rod. There would of course be limitations on the size of mast that could be physicaly handled. The rest of the issues wouldn't be impossible, just difficult enough to make the concept unviable.

Just spoke to a wooden mast maker, and he has said that it would have to be carbon fibre (didn’t mean to call up a wooden mast maker, but thought it would be interesting to see). It could be done in sections, but it would be too heavy, and if you had a hollow mast you would loose the woods strengths.

Like the sound of it. Went to the Norfolk broads on a sailing holiday. The hassle of flattening the mast to go under bridges was a nightmare. If I do it again, definitely on a barge, not a yacht!

I bet that was a real hassle, not sure I would fancy it myself!

Put up an article to day about the conceptual boat competition. Might be an idea to enter the telescopic mast idea into that as there is just a conceptual area, so it wouldn’t have to work in practice.

Hi Roxanna

The telescopic mast as a single item is fesbable but it's the logistics of being able to make use of it that is the problem.

I'm not a yachtsman so I'm shooting from the hip here but I see at least the following problems:-

1. The damage incurred from being de-masted would be unpredictable; does the old mast break half way up, just above the deck, below the deck and take half of the deck with it.

2. The ammount of sails and rigging that could be retrieved would also be unpredictable; you may have to cut it all away and let it sink before it sinks you.

3. After all that has happened, what are you going to mount the telescopic mast to?

4. Even if you could mount it, coud you man-handle it into position.

5. Once in position could you actually re-rig it?

As a concept, I think it's a complete non-starter but for a back up system, most yachts have engines, so if possible (I don't mean ocean crossings of course), carry sufficient diesel to get back home and sample the pleasures of motor boating.

I thought the idea of conceptual ment it didn't have to really work in practice, just an idea?

If that's the case, the original idea is clearly Roxanna's. (see the first posting)I've only given a possible of buliding her telescopic mast.

The building advice has been gratefully received. Thank you.