Fitting a 'new' used mast to a Sabre 27

Phil Taylor gives his yacht a new lease of life by replacing its cracked mast with a good one from an abandoned Thompson T24

- Phil Taylor

Well past her 50th birthday, my Sabre 27 Tabitha's original mast had served me well for 25 years but was now showing its age.

There were a number of corroded areas, particularly near the base, so it was time to remove it for a serious inspection. As expected, the news was not good-the corroded area had now developed a crack, and although the aluminium on this ancient mast was a good deal thicker than on most comparable modern sticks, it was no longer suitable for the sort of extended offshore cruising I enjoy.

It was time to either replace it or, at least, to make a repair. A new mast would be best but expensive, perhaps there was a more economical solution?

As luck would have it, our yacht club in Cardiff Bay had an abandoned Thompson T24. Muhari had been lying around for years and attempts to sell or even give her away had been unsuccessful. The boat had a substantial glassfibre hull so was still afloat, but the sheathed marine ply topsides had been neglected for many years and the ply had rotted to the point that the roof leaked and the deck-stepped mast was in danger of plunging into the cabin. This once fine vessel would never sail again. Enquiries with professional boat dismantlers had revealed it would cost the club thousands to dispose of.

Racing rig

The T24 was designed in 1966 by Guy Thompson who had a day job at the Bank of England. When he retired, a room in the cellar was found to be full of his designs and drawings! The T24 was intended as a one-off, but was so successful it went into production in 1968. It was renowned for speed and seaworthiness and at least one crossed the Atlantic.

Two versions of the T24 were produced: a cruising model with an iron keel, and a cruiser-racer with a taller mast and a lead keel. Muhari was the racing version.