Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Mast for a Model Yacht

Let's start with getting all the jokes about the missing boat out of the way. This is the set-up assembly of a mast for a radio controlled sailboat. The material for the mast is made specifically for this purpose. It has an aerodynamic shape and a longitudinal slot where bolts can be secured.
The mast and boom sections were cut to length and the other parts were either scratch built or 'borrowed' from places where they have other uses.
The wire that can be seen on the right is used for turning the fitting on the end of the boom. A closer view below shows this better.
All of the lines and the rubber bands that you see will be replaced when the mast and booms are installed on the boat.
The sail attaches at this point. A section of the boom has been cut away. The attachment point for the sail is on a threaded rod. Turning the rod adjusts the tension on the sail.
The part that extends from the boom is a ball joint connector that normally acts as a clevis for a connecting rod used with a radio control servo. Here it allows for the attachment of a turning rod so that the sail attachment point can be adjusted.