Tiki 30 Aluminium Beams

[Andrew Cassingham]

Have found and read a few discussion.

I have a front beam needing replacing, Mast beam okay and stern beam probably salvageable.

Thinking of making new beams according to the plans but from aluminum so not just a rectangular section or cut down mast tube but following the plans but in aluminium not glass and ply. Has it been done, should it be done? Another option thinking of using LVL beams as a box section and glassed for protection, ugly but simpler. Or should I just get itchy and follow the glass over ply version?

[mimi_maw]

Aluminum can work, but you can’t just swap it in, you’ll change stiffness, load paths, and fatigue behavior. LVL/glass is heavier and ugly, but predictable. If you’re not a structural engineer, stick with the original glass/ply.

[Brad Ingram]

We are going with aluminum square tube beams for our Tiki 30 build. I contacted Richard Woods and bought the plan sheets with the aluminum beam specifications for his SKUA design (which he had real engineers do math for) for a very fair price. They are way stronger than the wooden beams and won't rot and will be 15-20 pounds lighter per beam than wood. For the front beam, we are going with a beefy mast section and gull striker like the Tiki 28 has in order to get rid of the bow string effect of the bridle wires when you really pull the power on upwind. My Nacra has lived outside since 1976, and the aluminum beams on it are doing just fine!