Tiki 26 aluminium beams

[Johnny Martin]

Hi - I need to replace my beams and prompted by this plan to make baot really trailerable eg replacing cockpit with netting.

- anyone any experience of aluminium beams - specifications/design?

- tube or maybe a box girder made of angle?

- anyone know who could specify this for me?

- anyone got a netting cockpit?

Thank you

Johnny

[maxim jurgens]

I am quite sure the 6 " beam mentioned refers to the fwd beam . Steve's (fiberglass) versions of the T 26 had, if i am not mistaken, the same two main beams as the "normal" wood -hulled  T26's.  6"dia alu pipe seems in any case awfully small for a beam whihc not only holds the hulls together but is subject to the loads induced by mast & rig as well.

We built a Hitia 26 ( T 26 without the cabins, it's used as a day sailer, learn-to sail boat and camping cruiser) with alu beams . Boat is two ft wider then a standard T26. beam nr 1 is an ordinary 6" 4mm wall alu pipe. Beams nr2 and 3 were made of a salvaged mast of a 38ft piver trimaran whihc was wrecked in our bay . We did not bother with the dolphin striker on the mast beam. I do not think there will be much diffrence in weight between a wooden main beam and an equally strong alu beam.  The standard nr 1 beam as designed by JWD on a 26 can, as seen, be replaced by an alu pipe and this does save a considerable amount of weight