Subject: Sabot Mast
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003

Hello Rot Doctor,
A few years ago your products bailed me out of a difficult problem I had with some rotted wood in a travel trailer. I now have another odd situation where I wonder if the CPES would be a good choice.

I recently acquired a small sailboat called a "U.S. Sabot". The tapered mast is constructed of fiberglass/epoxy and is hollow like a tube. The sail slips over the mast like a sock. The mast must have been left in the sun for a long period of time as it is faded and the fiberglass cloth is just beginning to come exposed although it is still intact. I talked to the mast manufacturer and he told me just to paint the mast with some epoxy paint or epoxy resin. Keep in mind that this mast is unstayed and flexes quite a bit under use. I'm afraid some epoxies may not be flexible enough for this application. I was thinking of using my CPES that I already have to coat the mast and protect the fibers. I don't think the CPES will "soak" in like it does on wood so I thought it might just build up a nice protective layer for the fibers. Do you think this sounds like an O.K. thing to do? Also, my CPES is a few years old, would it still be usable?

Thanks,
Steve S.

The CPES would probably soak into the exposed fiberglass fibers a little, at least on the first coat. But this is a good thing as it would add strength but still be flexible. Several coats would begin to build up a layer of epoxy. Epoxies that are translucent like CPES are not very resistant to sunlight. So if you were going to leave the mast exposed to sunlight, I would top coat the CPES with a layer of quality epoxy or polyurethane paint. Either would be plenty flexible for the mast, and would protect against sunlight.

Your CPES should be good for 10+ years. To be absolutely sure, you could mix up a couple spoonfuls and apply to a test piece. If it cures, you are good to go. I am sure it will, unless you left the lids off the cans.

Let me know if I can be of any further help.

Doc