65- by 32-foot catamaran 3200sqft of living space

[Sail4beer]

I imagine there’s some extra windage to overcome, but if your not racing it doesn’t really matter.

 

[167149]

Here's my neighbor's mast, standard aluminum schedule 40, 1.5" pipe. Welded up in one day with pieces he previously cut out. It's circumnavigated, with a couple Pacific and Alaska loops thrown in. He can pick it up by himself. Climbing it of course is a non issue. Seems real practical. He's a very smart, technical type guy and says his research showed less turbulence than a standard oval mast. Too bad my old club mate Tom Speer is not around to ask his opinion.

PS: He built that steel 47'er by himself in just a year. Prior to that he'd built a 57' ferro that he also circumnavigated in. He's the real deal.

View attachment 571743

those "lattice work" rigs are pretty stiff and relatively easy to maintain and add stuff via a wiring tube but the racket they can make at anchor in a breeze can be a bit disconcerting, instead of a mournfull whine and/or whistle you can get the whole fucking orchestra, not nice to anchor closeish to

 

[10thTonner]

Here's my neighbor's mast, standard aluminum schedule 40, 1.5" pipe. Welded up in one day with pieces he previously cut out. It's circumnavigated, with a couple Pacific and Alaska loops thrown in. He can pick it up by himself. Climbing it of course is a non issue. Seems real practical. He's a very smart, technical type guy and says his research showed less turbulence than a standard oval mast. Too bad my old club mate Tom Speer is not around to ask his opinion.

PS: He built that steel 47'er by himself in just a year. Prior to that he'd built a 57' ferro that he also circumnavigated in. He's the real deal.

View attachment 571743

I buy everything except the „less turbulence“ part.

 

[Zonker]

He's a very smart, technical type guy and says his research showed less turbulence than a standard oval mast.

He is wrong. Heaps more drag.

 

[Great Red Shark]

Here's my neighbor's mast, standard aluminum schedule 40, 1.5" pipe. Welded up in one day with pieces he previously cut out. It's circumnavigated, with a couple Pacific and Alaska loops thrown in. He can pick it up by himself. Climbing it of course is a non issue. Seems real practical. He's a very smart, technical type guy and ....

Who told you he was "very smart" ? was it him? 'cause...

 

[eric1207]

Hey, I'm just the messenger. The builder/designer was very soft spoken and isn't the type to toot his horn. No he didn't tell me. Other people have though. He was head of a major (science) department in a major university. You don't get there if you don't have some smarts over a long career.

That mast was 70' from my house for years and I never noticed wind noise from it above ambient in any wind up to ~50 knots or so. No whistling, no howling, etc.... Not that it couldn't happen with some other design or lattice placement.

Speed was not the builder's primary concern, you can see that from the boat's profile. I'll agree the aerodynamic claim did stretch my thinking but I'm no expert. That's why I'd have loved to ask our club guru about it. Alas he recently died way too soon. RIP good man.

 

[Frayed Knot Arts]

He is wrong. Heaps more drag.

He's best avoid Tennessee altogether, and probably Florida as well.

 

[Steam Flyer]

He is wrong. Heaps more drag.

He's best avoid Tennessee altogether, and probably Florida as well.

Good advice for anybody, no matter what kind of mast they have