I use a carpenter's plane to shave down just until the saw cuts disappear. I then sand the mast with a half-round with sandpaper glued to the inside.
After a lot of sanding I get it ... rounder. Good enough, time to varnish.
The original owner and builder did not get the big Douglas fir mast perfectly round. This is more than an aesthetic problem, as the changing radius of the mast means that the tumbler on the gaff (swivel/slide in the crotch) will not seat itself evenly on the mast, causing the leathers to wear out more quickly.
I created a jig with a saw blade which will cut into the raised corners
of the mast.
I use a carpenter's plane to shave down just until the saw cuts
disappear. I then sand the mast with a half-round with sandpaper
glued to the inside.
After a lot of sanding I get it ... rounder. Good enough,
time to varnish.
But first I have to repair some damage that was done last time the mast was pulled. I used Spartite to seal at the partners, which worked reasonably well except when it came time to remove the mast, when it wouldn't let go. So I drilled into it to weaken it, but also drilled into the mast in a few places.
I will repair this by inserting--my coinage--dutch scarfs, basically
a cross between a dutchman and a scarf. I set up a couple of guide
sticks to cut out wedges where there are deep drill holes.
And then glue in Douglas fir wedges ...
Once the glue dries they will then be planed and sanded flush with the
mast.
Next task is to take one foot off the top of the mast. In most cases, shortening the rig is not a good idea, since cruising boats usually need more sail power not less. But in the case of a gaffer, this will only affect the size of the full hoist genoa ... the working sail plan of main, staysail, and yankee will remain identical except for a slight change in angle on the jib stay. In return, I get two of those heavy spider clamps and associated shackles and blocks down a bit lower and lose some windage.
An ordinary wood saw was sufficient to remove a foot off the top. I then
created new shelves for the spider clamps
so they would not slip, and put a new round truck on the top.
Finally I have decided to add spreaders. These are not always necessary on a gaff rigger, since the lowers attach about three quarters of the way up the mast, but they will nonetheless serve to further strengthen the rig. In addition, they provide a convenient place to mount radar reflectors, hang a flag halyard, and can serve as a nice foothold when working aloft.
After some varnish and paint, the mast is ready to go.
