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If there isn't a canoe trip...

@Boatman53

The pictures shown are just a sort of test setup for now... to see if it works.
I'll have to figure out how to design the mast base over the next few days - I can't say anything more specific about it today.
Should the shrouds be moved a bit further aft?
Hmm... let's see how I can work that out.
Since the Wilma has a keel on the outside, it has a sort of hollow strip on the inside, which will make it difficult to glue the mast base in place.

20260722_175938.jpg . 20260722_175952.jpg

Likewise, I'm still not sure what the mast base should ultimately look like.
Right now, I'm leaning toward a rectangle with a slot for the mast end so that I'll have enough surface area on both sides of the hole to glue it down securely.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
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Once I'm done with the mast base, I'll move on to the centerboard. Then I'll work on the leeboard. I think I'll just build one to see if that's enough...
 
We've discussed some of this before...

 
My idea for the mast base was to take a rectangular piece of wood and glue it in place.
It will have a hole in the center to accommodate the end of the mast.
It will taper outward from the center so that the outer edges don’t stick up too much.
It will be wide enough to provide sufficient support and a large enough surface area for gluing.
Because of the keel, there’s a sort of keel groove on the inside, so gluing it in will be a bit of an “artistic challenge"...

Here is the result:

20260724_155434.jpg . 20260724_155452.jpg . 20260724_155503.jpg . 20260724_155517.jpg

20260724_155528.jpg . 20260724_155905.jpg . 20260724_155854.jpg . 20260724_161311.jpg . 20260724_161929.jpg

20260724_162407.jpg . 20260724_162652.jpg . 20260724_163609.jpg . 20260724_163650.jpg . 20260724_165329.jpg

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Without a taller mast, a backstay is out of the question with that mainsail. Unless you want to change the sail plan to a simple sloop rig, just move the shrouds aft about ten inches.
 
There were two sailing canoes on the lake when I was a kid, one wood and one aluminum Grumman. Neither had any stays IIRC; just the thwart and base supported the mast, which is more than adequate for the amount of sail a canoe can carry. The leeboards attached to the ends of the mast thwart, which attached to the top of, and extended slightly beyond, the gunwales.
 
The mast base looks good, however, I would be concerned that there's enough material for adequate strength around the hole in the thwart.
 
Oh, that's solid ash wood.
The mast will be secured in the hole with a pin. So it's already very sturdy.
With this design, the size of the bonding surface is probably the weakest point.
But I'm very confident that it will hold. ;)
 
You could add diagonal lines to loops bonded to the hull, the mast step is the weakest link in the whole system. In my big boat work I’ve seen more than a couple rig failures due to the step giving way somehow.

Jim
 
Oh, that's solid ash wood.
The mast will be secured in the hole with a pin. So it's already very sturdy.
With this design, the size of the bonding surface is probably the weakest point.
I'm talking about the thwart; with that great big hole for the mast it looks like less than half of the original width is left, which significantly reduces its strength. Think of a hundred pounds of force (my back of the envelope calculation based on a 15kt breeze and a guesstimate of your sail dimensions) pushing the thwart forward, concentrated at the hole. Especially with no backstay supporting the mast. It might be ok... but if it was me I'd make it wider or thicker, at least around the hole.
 
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