Gary- I think I remember the old 17 section that I used S-104 was 4X3. It's flaw was that it was made of 6063, rather than the 6051 like most of the newer stuff. 6061 is about 30% sronger, a combo of flexural and tensile strength, So you'vbe got a good safety fctor. Yours is a Ballenger if I remember correctly and I"ll bet it's 6061, as are the Dwyer stuff. Unless you live in a high wind area or if your main is new and terrific, I'd take Gary's advice and go to a tall rig; you'll be, like Gary, a "hawk among the chickens"! You can use your present headsails just fine on a tall rig. Of course, this is assuming you need a new mast! jerry ----- Original Message ----- From: <GILASAILR@aol.com> To: <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:54 PM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Mast clearance
Joe, I am no expert - But I believe the figure is correct for the early model boats (pear shaped section with swinging spreaders). Remember there is a fair amount of hardware on the extrusion so it seems heavier, - halyards,cleats, masthead fitting and sheaves, etc.
I have an 'aftermarket' mast on my boat - a section similar to the one used on the Sage (mine is a bit larger 4.0 X 2.6 ") and it weighs 1.16#/ft. (much stiffer than the original M-17 section IMHO)
Hope that sheds a bit of light - Jerry will chime in if we stray from the 'truth'.
Good Luck,
GO
my advice is 'make it tall'
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