I purchased two masts for the O'pen skiff per the directions and finally got the nerve to modify one of them to be the mizzen mast. I was very careful where I made the cut, but I found that section 4 still won't fit into the inverted section 2 as per the directions. There's still an aluminum layer inside that makes the cavity much smaller. I'm not sure if the mast design has been updated over the years or what. Has anyone else run into this and what did you do about it? Thanks
For those wanting the rest of the story... I noticed that the aluminum insert on section two (which shouldn't have been there) pushed down inside the tube, so it wasn't fixed in place. That was a bit of a revelation because it meant I could remove that piece and I even had visions of being able to use that beautiful first section with the proper butt end that fits so nicely in the mount created. I used a pipe extraction tool to pull out the piece stuck in section 2. Unfortunately, no go on removing the aluminum from section 1, but at least I could continue with the directions as written! So, maybe mine was just an anomaly but the aluminum plug was longer than what was the case in the earlier versions used to develop the cutting process. But is was fairly easy to fix. Despite all my angst in cutting a brand new mast, the directions were excellent and the end result is pretty slick. Oh, there was some mention of removing the carbon fiber wrap that protects the mast from the boom's gooseneck and reusing it at the new location. There was no way that was coming off. It appears to be encased in epoxy, so I just moved on. Thanks, Angus, for you helpful comments throughout this little snag!
