29er Spinnaker pole

I have a buggered pole were the fat end has several large splits running up along its length, the longest possibly 12 inches long.

What’s the best way for me to fix this.

Cheers

Ian

I've repaired two or three of these. There isn't really an issue under class rules that I can see - the rules are well phrased when it comes to repairs. I'm pretty sure one of my repairs was used at a Worlds so must have passed scrutineering.

What I do is to make up a collar of carbon on the inside, about 11/2-2 mm think, and a single layer of carbon bandage on the outside to replace the current white stuff. Do the inner one first. You need some kind of former to consolidate the layup and keep it round. I think I used an aerosol can lid last time - you just need to find something the right diameter. It should be about 3-4 mm thinner than the inside diameter of the tube. Clean up the inner surface, and put on several windings of unidirectional carbon round the inside. Make sure you wind it the same way. Now gently introduce your former so that its compressing the laminate in place. This is a bit tricky, you'll need to try a couple of times to avoid the laminate just slipping down the tube. I think putting the former in after the carbon is in place was easier than wrapping the carbon round the former, but feel free to try it both ways. You'd be best advised to use a slow hardener to give you time for all the fiddling.

Lastly put a layer of two of cloth round the outside, ideally with a bit of peel play to gateher excess resin, and consolidate that by winding PVC tape round it.

When cured sand back the outside gently so its the right diameter and smooth. Pull out the inside former (you may need to break it up, so use something you can throw away) and sand down any edges that might abrade the string...




Edited by JimC

used a ballon too on my boys  29er pole , worked but messy , burst a couple too ! bloons that is  also put in a new aluminium ring piece *** as old one corroded

heard somewhere that you can buy  more durable inflating things from plumbers , but be carefull how you ask for them

 

***Carefull how you ask for that too

Edited by catmandoo

I "assumed " that as it had one origionally that I would have to put one back , but praps it had bin repared before , or it doesn't matter in class rules ,

 

I'm just a dumb catsailor after all