Upgrading a Baba 30 to an unstayed mast?

[JeffBobmen]

Anyone have thoughts on upgrading an older boat (baba 30) to an unstayed mast?

From what I've been reading this is a big task and requires a lot of work (and $$$) to pull off. But maybe there is a DIY method to reinforce the hull to switch out to a carbon fiber unstayed mast?

 

[SloopJonB]

Anyone have thoughts on upgrading an older boat (baba 30) to an unstayed mast?

Yeah - don't even think about it.

 

[European Bloke]

I can't even begin to imagine what might go wrong. No, wait, I can.

I'm with Sloop.

If you do it please post photos after the first decent sail. Things have been quiet around here recently, you could fill a gap.

 

[mgs]

Sure, unstayed rigs have sailed around the world. 
 

what exactly are you trying to accomplish with this mod?

I think the DIY method to reinforce the hull would be you doing the work yourself, no?

(For the record, I wouldn’t do it. If I wanted an unstayed rig I’d get a boat with an unstayed rig)

 

[Bump-n-Grind]

 

[ryley]

This would have been the kind of project that Eric Sponberg would have jumped all over. Unfortunately (for you, not for him) he's retired and sailing around the world.

 

[El Borracho]

Lemme guess…you just received the quote for replacing your 35 year old standing rigging, right? Then you thought “Why do I even need standing rigging?”

 

[Zonker]

In the words of my Ozzie friends:  "Yeah no"

 

[SloopJonB]

This would have been the kind of project that Eric Sponberg would have jumped all over. Unfortunately (for you, not for him) he's retired and sailing around the world.

Are you trying to give The Maestro a stroke|?

 

[Rasputin22]

Bobmen, 

    Take this to the Perry Facebook Fan Club page. Bob needs a good laugh these days...

 

[longy]

Just have to install a LARGE ring frame at the mast position to take all the loads from the deck level to the hull.

 

[JeffBobmen]

I'm getting the feeling the general consensus of the idea is a solid "maybe" 

 

[Raz'r]

Just have to install a LARGE ring frame at the mast position to take all the loads from the deck level to the hull.

And if you're going to lose the jib, don't forget you have to move the mast forward.

Yeah, no. Sell it and get a Nonsuch 30

 

[SloopJonB]

I'm getting the feeling the general consensus of the idea is a solid "maybe not" 

FTFY

 

[Kevlar Edge]

Sure and why don’t you convert it to deck stepped with a tabernacle. So you can easily lower it when you have to go under a low bridge. In all seriousness don’t do it 

 

[The great unwashed]

Look, they just stick the damn laser spar in a little fiberglass cup.  Scale it up to a trash can sized fiberglass cup, glue it to the cabin top, cut the hole, and Bob’s your uncle.

 

[SloopJonB]

Look, they just stick the damn laser spar in a little fiberglass cup.  Scale it up to a trash can sized fiberglass cup, glue it to the cabin top, cut the hole, and Bob’s your uncle.

More likely Bob will be putting a contract out.

 

[European Bloke]

Look, they just stick the damn laser spar in a little fiberglass cup.  Scale it up to a trash can sized fiberglass cup, glue it to the cabin top, cut the hole, and Bob’s your uncle.

The trash can in the cabin is going to block the important area next to the stripper pole. You've got to think this shit through or these projects can get really complicated. Moving the stripper pole is not trivial.

 

[MiddayGun]

Look, they just stick the damn laser spar in a little fiberglass cup.  Scale it up to a trash can sized fiberglass cup, glue it to the cabin top, cut the hole, and Bob’s your uncle.

Maybe the solution is just to use a laser mast, assuming you're already a keel stepped mast then you probably won't need to do any reinforcement at all. Though you will lose about half the sail area if you take it all the way down to the keel.

Slightly more seriously, some people do convert to Junk rigs and they're normally unstayed, might be a good place to start your search. But I doubt anyone does any real engineering, just overbuild the shit out of it.