BYYB Forums

I need some mast hoops. I don't want to go to the trouble of bending them. where can they be bought? I thought Duckworks had them but I can't find them. I know about sawing the pvc but I want something a little saltier than that (wood ) . I have the cable and beads now and they work fine, I just want to put the hoops on and see if they look better to me. Bud.

Ahoy Bud,

You want to acquire hoops, do you? Maybe even make some, but you do not want to steam bend stock. Bud, there may be an Australian vendor. At least, I believe I ran across such a vendor. Also, you may want to check Classic Marine from England. The British have a penchant about tradition whether traditional wooden boats, kings, or afternoon tea. However, I must tell you that you will pay top dollar (or should I say top British pound), but the quality will be good, very good.

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/

Another alternative might be to make the hoops yourself. You could, of course, steam bend wood stock, but let's look at some other ways that might work just as well, or even better. Here's what I would do—

Solid Wood
You could, of course, simply cut the hoops with either a plunge router or hole saw. In either approach, you would need to cut the outer circle first, and then cut the inner circle. The hole saw would require special bits, but the router would be easier and cheaper. Just make two different bases for the router, one for the outer diameter; one for the inner diameter. Cut all your outer diameters first, change bases and finish your cuts. Voila! Hoops galore!

Laminated Hoops
I'm not sure how strong the solid hoops would be under stress. For our small boats, the hoops might work just fine. A better alternative and perhaps, even much stronger hoops would be those made of laminated stock.

Making such hoops would be easy as well. You would need a circle form (the same size as the inside diameter). Just nail the circle form on to a board and have some waxpaper underneath the form. Cut some thin strips (one batch for the inner diameter, another for the outer diameter). You could, of course, have 3 layers if you wished. Most likely either 1/4 or even 5/16 strips would bend quite nicely. Just two layers, and you would have either 1/2 thick or 5/8 thick hoops.

Just wrap the inner layer around circle form. Add some glue, and then wrap the outer layer. Use some spring clamps to hold everything, and that should be that.

For some reason, it appears that traditional hoops were made of ash. At least, Classic Marine sells ash hoops. Ash may have some inherent property that makes it very suitable for wooden hoops. I just don't know. I can tell you, however, that in Homer's Iliad, the better spears have shafts made from ash.

Good luck on your hoops, Bud. Whatever you do, in no time you'll be under sail and jumping through hoops.

Of course, another option is wooden beads.

My sailing buddie, Capt Jake made some from laminated layers of plywood. He oriented thin plywood so that the grains all ran at various angles to each other, epoxied them together to make up a blank and then routed them out using a circle template and rounded over the edges. Finished them with epoxy and varnish. They have been holding up well thus far. He had used beads on wire before, but with a square mast they kept hanging up. On a round mast this wouldn't be an issue, but under stress the beads were breaking.

I"ve steam bent thin strips of very straight grain Ash into hoops and then rivited them together with copper rivets. Soaked them in boiling linseed oil and then just buffed them out. Was a fun project. Not sure that I would do it again but they held up just fine for several years. These wern't for mast hoops but they were out in the weather year round.

This link from the Aussies

http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au./hoops.htm

From our British friends

http://www.tsrigging.co.uk/product_index...ubTypeId=5

From our friends up east

http://www.pertlowell.com/wood/wood.html#mast_hoops
http://www.areyspondboatyard.com/apbyhardware.html

Make your own

http://www.simplicityboats.com/masthoops.html

Ash is a nice wood and bends real well, but not particularly rot resistant, so don't capsize or routinely sink the boat or issues could arise.

Gaskets (spliced line) make a much better nesting option, so the sail will reef and reside calmly on the boom. Lacing is another salty option.

Thanks guys I think Berry put me on the right road to eather buy or build. After reading Mike Goodwin instructions I may just build them. Sounds like a fun proj. Wake up and smell the roses some time Scott I have had the wood beads on my boat for two years. Another suggestion from Mike G. that all you gaffers might remember "I suggest some use of Meyer's dark rum or Captain Morgan's if you can't get anything better & please, no 'lite' beer, it has no place on a gaff rigged boat, a good heavy ale or a stout is more fitting. After all we have an image to maintain. Mike G. have a good day all Bud.

They're not wood and I don't know how salty they look, but I cut my hoops from 6" pvc, didn't like the look so I wrapped tthem in 5/16" line - here's what they ended up looking like...



John k

It is all the liquor and food that you bring to our messabouts that clouds my mind :wink: ! I walk around in a well fed and boozed up haze most of the time. But at least I noticed they looked nice as does the rest of your boat!

I know Scott. As long as every one is having a good time a little food and a little spirits never hurts. Good job John K salty enough nice hoops. I like the small loop for the clevis to hook to the sail. Do you have one on the other side to rig a leveling line for the hoops? Bud.

Hey Bud - nope, no loop for a leveling line but they won't be hard too retrofit. I want to see how well it works without them first.

john k