Spartite vs. wood wedges

[Tom Glennon]

Does anyone have experience with the 2-part product you pour around the mast, in place of wooded wedges?  Just wondering if it is as good as they say.

My stick comes out every season for winter storage.

[C Martinson]

My previous boat had the spartight and I would not recommend it if you lift your mast every year....unless you meticulously install it with the bond breakers which I understand is very hard.  The O'Day user website had a string on this and the consensus was it wasn't recommended if you often lift the mast out often.  My mast on my O'Day would NOT come out when I tried to have the mast lifted because the bond breaker wasn't installed properly and I gave up....never did get it our before I sold it.

Chris
More Therapy
Hull number 945 1989

[ebbers]

Last year, we purchased a boat on the Connecticut coast and sailed/motored up the Hudson River/Champlain Canal to northern Vermont.  This requires stepping the mast for the journey up the canal/lock system.  When the crane operator began to pull the mast in Kingston, NY, the entire boat began to lift out of the water.  The mast was sealed to the deck with Spartite that was improperly applied.  Probably, no Vasoline was put around the deck hole to allow the Spartite plug to pop out easily. We worked for an extra day in drilling, chiseling, sawing out the epoxy plug.  It is very tough stuff.  We scarred the mast in the process. When we finally got it out, the Spartite was 4 inches thick (it is supposed to be 1 in thick). Talking to the Spartite company, they acknowledged that if their product is improperly applied that the problems we encountered are very possible.  I can readily validate that Spartite provides a nice, tight seal for the mast. Just make sure, if you use it, that it's applied correctly and doesn't give you too tight a seal!

Tim
Meerdink
Hull 1207  1992

[Tom Soko]

Tom,
I hardly think that you should condemn Spartite because some people cannot read and follow clearly written instructions.  I installed Spartite about 10 years ago, and have pulled the stick twice since then.  In each case I had no problems.  The mast came out easily, and in the spring it was easy to re-install.  With a thin bead of LifeSeal around the mast/Spartite joint, it has not leaked once.  I highly recommend the product.

[Ron Hill]

If there is any doubt about your ability to install Spartite, go with the wooden wedges. 
If you pull the stick it's easy to get a new mast boot from Catalina parts. 
It take only a few minutes to cut yourself 6 oak wedges on a table or radial arm saw.  A thought

[Stu Jackson]

Here's a link to an earlier discussion about mast leaks, from a search on partners: 

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4631.0.html

Has pictures.