Is a carbon mast better?
QOvni Yachts now offers carbon masts as an option. What are the pros and cons of carbon, compared to alloy, in terms of cost, performance and maintenance over a 15-year period? David Bricknell
AAndy Postle, Allspars founder and MD, replies: The main advantage is performance. A carbon mast is lighter, about 2/3rd the alloy equivalent, so the yacht will heel and pitch less. As centreplate yachts, Ovnis don’t have deep keels. A lighter mast addresses this by increasing righting moment.
The main disadvantage of carbon is cost – around 2.5-3 times that of an anodised alloy mast. The paint or lacquered finish will also need maintenance, as it will be affected by UV. This may be a patching job, with a tin and brush, or a complete strip back to bare tube, re-spray and re-assemble.
An important difference with carbon is that you cannot simply drill holes where you want to add additional fittings. The modern carbon mast is carefully designed around the initial specification and reinforcing will have been applied to allow for fittings. You run a big risk of significantly weakening a mast when you put holes in places they are not designed to be, so if you want to add bits to your rig in later years, you don’t have the same flexibility.