I'm just starting the project of redecking my NSM 2 (Bob Hoare 3285 FRP hull). I thought I might as well deckstep the mast at the same time.This would enable me to update the rig in the future using second hand stuff from the website. I am aware that I will never have a championship-winning boat but that is not the aim. The boat has a low bow tank and a bulkhead at the shroud position which seems to be a prerequsite for this job. Anyone got any thoughts or useful experience?

An amazing thing happened to me yesterday - whilst contemplating the finances for building our new extension on the house, the wife decided that an extra grand here or there didnt really matter, so i might as well buy a carbon mast "to stop me whining."
What a girl!

Here's the first article we have on the website, from years ago:

And here's the second, published in the 2003 magazine:

Ah!
Amazing thing happened. Wife tells me car insurance for kids is £1000 and fees for uni is £1000 and rent for uni is .....
3 kids.
mast looks years away.
sails?
new boat.....ho ho ho.

after 3 sons at uni, I can tell you your estimate is WELL under! Boat? What boat? That's why I'm renovating an NSM2 rather than sailing a brand new CT from Winder! - Still, we love 'em really, don't we?

DITTO!  DITTO! one daughter,five years still counting but I'm bu*****d if I'm paying for the 'want to go travelling' bit as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You will Barry you will, she'll flash her eyes and twist you round her little finger like all daughters do. Just pray she doesn't get horses THAT IS SERIOUSLY EXPENSIVE, vets farriers horse boxes etc etc etc. Cliff Norbury the sageonce said "If you want to stay sailing stay single." But then theses days a lot don't bother with the wedding.

No - what happens is this........ Promises to work en route to pay for the post-degree travelling are manifold and sincere; so you agree to the venture (I've done it twice but then I'm a slow learner!) THEN you get the phone calls from the Far East begging you to pay off the Barclaycard cos the credit limit is fast approaching (and nowhere to stay, no money for the ticket home). But hey, it's a "life-experience" (for ME, not them!) Why didn't I think of doing this when I was their age?

And there is the wedding!

Wedding?  Extending ladder B&Q 50 Quid (cheaper if you live in a bungalow!!!), City Link bus ticket 25 quid - plenty left for the mast, re-deck etc.  Sorted.  For further details contact Budgetnuptials R us !!!!

is there a link to all the articles on the site?

I'm busy compiling the articles at present Peter - those two links above are about all we've got at present (that isnt linked elsewhere). I'm trying to archive all the magazine articles, so you can read all the rig set-up ones together (for example). Its a bit of a mammoth task. 

If there is anything specific you're after, and cant wait, let me know below, or email.

so which route are you going then mags?

chip or super?

strike while the iron's hot (before the offer is withdrawn)

my approach is "anything cheap that isnt metal".
current idea is to build space frame first, asses feasibility and weight loss/gain, estimate price of hardware....then buy mast last of all. gives me the chance to bail out if it looks like not working. or if i get bored.

Mags

Rather than spending your hard borrowed cash on deck step converting your NSM and buying a new carbon mast (plus mainsail to match!), you would probably be much better off replacing the NSM with an early Canterbury Tales.  There are occasionally ones with carbon rigs on the secondhand list for £3500 - £4000

Mags

Dont even think about it!!!!!! you know what I mean! Besides you have a lovely boat why would you even consoder selling.

I got my old NSM 2 deck stepped by Laurie Smart for about £350. Dont know if that is cheap or expensive but i do know that he naturally did a fantastic job. Included in the price was removing the old strut and replacing it with a puller which is a must with a deck stepped rig. The lowers I sorted myself.

Good luck!

Sail no: 3504 Design: canterbury tales Builder: rowsell 
Price: £4250 Boat Name: Boing went Zebedee 

Or the thin ice at (probably) under 3 grand

3 grand is a little over my (i.e. the wife's) budget.
but £500 for a secondhand mast, and £300 on the conversion, is OK.

Besides, you are forgetting the ratio between the time a boat spends in the driveway, and the time you actually sail it. A job like this will give me hours of fun in the workshop!

Mags

I would also add, I believe getting the boat deck stepped professionally is a must,especially when you come to sell the boat, it always looks better when worded "profesionally deck stepped" in the advert, and for minimal outlay you know it will last.

Do you reckon you're gonna get a mast for 500 nicker?

Super is 900 quid rigged, plus 200 for a second hand main to fit it.

Plus, can you persuade anyone to part with their spare (i.e. oh shit I broke my jackon and i need a mast in a hurry) mast.

i was offered a rigged SS mast for 500 notes only last month.
true i need a little more for boom, poles, sails...but i'll hide these under 'sundries' when submitting the invoice to her indoors.

Nice one Mags, that's my man!

Yeah, kind of slapdown wasn't it

How much benefit will an NSM4 get from a carbon rig, which already has a very professional deckstep.

1 hour races, small pond, light to medium winds?

It will depower much more easily in the gusts.

Er - that's it inland, but it does cut down on a lot of mainsheet tugging.  No benefit in light winds.

Carbon Mast? Best thing I've done to my boat this year!

Why was it good - what has it done for you?

Recently I have heard two very good river sailors claim that a heavy alloy mast is actually an advantage in light winds as it assists with the roll tack.

Another disadvantage of carbon is, as I have found, you can break them more easily than alloy ones, which simply isn't fast.

Trust me, if you hit bottom hard with a tin mast in a lot of current, you'll break it as well! I speak from experience.

In respect of carbon vs tin,ask the Raters, I think they prefer the benefit of the lighter mast although I believe that Ossie put a light topmast on his metal mast?

But in anything over a F1, i would rather not have 10kg sitting 10ft in the air above me, doing nothing but making hiking harder.

Especially if you only paid 500 sheets for the priveledge

Mags, Don't get me wrong-I am a big fan of carbon masts and given the choice I would ALWAYS prefer carbon to tin.

Much of my sailing now is on the River and the only time that I feel disadvantaged is in very light roll gybing downwind versus (say) Passing Cloud, Luka or another well sailed narrow boat and I think that's more to do with technique.

What kind of timescales are we talking Mags?

I'll give myself 2 years....just in case. No hurry as I don't know how to work the strings yet - an apprenticeship is required (i.e. a bit of crewing)!