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Tiki 21 mast in Tiki 26

I'm doing a budget for tiki mast 26 and in Brazil only find aluminum tubes T6061 4 ". Can I use the tube 4 "? Has anyone done this? Opinions please...

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Permalink Reply by Rogerio Martin on March 27, 2011 at 4:14pm

Retracing the question:
Here in Brazil a mast 5 "aluminum all round, making only one manufactures masts, very expensive. Over $ 2000.00. But aluminum tubes 6 m in length with T6061 4" in diameter and a wall / 8 "is $ 150.00. But the mast of the Tiki 26 is 8 m tall so it would be necessary to make a foot and a top 1m in each timber.

The question is will a mast 4 can withstand the Tiki 26?

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Permalink Reply by Rogerio Martin on April 25, 2011 at 11:09am

Dear Roger,

I can see what you want to do, but am concerned at making an 8m mast with only 4" diameter. I think it will bend, and then break! At 8m, with rigging only at the top, the diameter needs to be 5" to achieve sufficient stiffness.
The mast can be made slightly stiffer by making a snug mast case that holds the mastfoot firmly. This would double the stiffness (Euhler's buckling load), but I don't know if it would be enough.

Can you not buy a wood that is reasonably light weight so you can make a wooden mast? Timber weight should be approx. 30lbs/cuft - 500kg/cum. If the wood is a bit heavier than that you could make the wall thickness thinner. Using the 4" aluminium tube with two 1.25m long (0.25m into the tube) inserts will also get heavy, particularly if you use solid timber.

I would recommend making a wooden mast.

Best wishes,

Hanneke Boon