Mast weight

Hi.
Could builders please tell me what their masts weigh and what wood species was used for their mast?
Cheers Hugh

I confess I don't know what ours weighs, but it's made of kiln-dried spruce which I think is the lightest of the recommended woods... makes it easily handled by one person

Thanks, useful to know about the spruce.

Will this help?  (The actual finished weight is not listed.)
The boat is outside the house today.  Would you like me to get out the bathroom scales?

Copied from an email of Sat 11/07/2020 23:07  (NB - This refers to Sloop rig mast.)
Mast timber as supplied 10.9kg
Mast planed square tapered. 7.9kg
Mast rough round? 6.2kg
Mast round. Nearly finished. 5.9 kg*
Amount removed. 5.0kg.

Yard. As supplied. 3.26
Yard. Finished. 1.66kg
Amount removed 1.60kg

*This would be before final sanding, cutting slot for sheave, trimming sides of base to create the lug which locates in the step, and all plong before D1/D2 treratment and fitting the sheave and the pintle-mount for the boswsprit.

Thanks Paul, that's great information, and no need for the bathroom scales. That's the approximate level of weight I am aiming for.
What was the wood you used?
Cheers Hugh

Hi,
That sounds very light to me. Great stuff!
By the way, I have just finishing shaping my oars, yard and boom from solid northern yellow pine. My next move, in paralell to finishing boat paint will be the mast which I would like to make with the birdsmouth technique. Should I increase the 76 mm nominal “solid” diameter to, say, 80 mm? What would you recommend?

 Hi Carlos.
Birdsmouth - Ooo - an interesting challenge!
Bearing in mind I'm a retired engineer not naval architect, my route would be to:-
a) ask Francois.
and
b) online research - there is bound to be something about relative bending strengths and the crush resistance of the two methods.
Please let us know how you get on.
PW

Hi Paul,

You have read my mind. I did asked Ms. Vivier the question and in fact I have just received back his reply:

Hello Carlos,

Thank you for these pictures.
Yes, it is better to increase the mast diameter to 80 mm if it is built with the bird mouth method.

Kind regards

François Vivier Architecte Naval

I did some research on the web and wrote down in my notebook that the mast diameter should be increased, but now that I starting that task I was trying to double check but could not find where I got this idea from. Mysteries of the web.

I’m also an engineer, not as lucky as you are now, but in 5 years time I expect to have as much spare time as you have now!!

One last question: I scaled my pieces and got 3 kg for the oars/ea. 3,5 kg for the yard, and 4,5 kg for the boom. Yes, that last one is a little bit beefier than the drawings suggest… but 1,5 Kg, is that serious?

Birdsmouth… yes, the internet have made inconscious people like me believe the can make all sort of stuff. I’m a subscriber of the off center harbor website, and everything seems possible… I will try.

Best regards
Carlos Herrán

‘Morning Carlos.
You ask “… but 1,5 Kg, is that serious?” – Where does that value appear?
Other thoughts:-
With the wider mast diameter you’ll need a larger hole in the deck.  (Obvious - Sorry!)
Some mast fittings, and mast related features, may need to be up-scaled, though I’ve not thought about which they might be.  Traveller and halyard sheave come to mind.
Re-enforcement of attachment points could be necessary. E.g. cleat/s, bowsprit attachment (if relevant to your build).  Maybe others.

FWIW, I re-paste what I’d copied from an email I’d written on 11/07/2020.  
==============
(NB - This refers to Sloop rig mast.)
Mast timber as supplied 10.9kg
Mast planed square tapered. 7.9kg
Mast rough round? 6.2kg
Mast round. Nearly finished. 5.9 kg*
Amount removed. 5.0kg.

Yard. As supplied. 3.26
Yard. Finished. 1.66kg
Amount removed 1.60kg

*This would be before final sanding, cutting slot for sheave, trimming sides of base to create the lug which locates in the step, and all long before D1/D2 treatment and fitting the sheave and the pintle-mount for the boswsprit 
============
I hope this helps.  
At the moment it’s not viable to weigh our mast and spars because they are at the lake 8kms from home, and the sail is attached.

Hi Paul,
Mast already in the final rounded process comes out at 8,2 Kg.
Checked the densitybof my wood (american yellow pine) and got a value of 670 kg/m3.
Plate name also finished ready for varnishing.
Best regards, Carlos Herrán