breaking mast extensions

[collinsdon]

Today I broke my third mast extension in two weeks. Right after I downhaul (6:1 and not using a crank), the base on my Fiberspar extenstion breaks in half. Anybody else have this problem? I am setting the ring stop at 8 CM (sail calls out 7). The sail is a 6.6 RAF, and the mast is 55% Powerex.

[MikeLaRonde]

well, the other day I was trying to get more downhaul on my North Zoom 6.0, and I couldnt budge it past the MED setting. So I asked my friend to try, he yanked it as hard as he could, and a cast iron triple pulley snapped in 2. (This clearly should not happen!)

I think if you have a sail that almost fits a mast (in my case, the 40cm extension was only at about 8cm), it is better to use a shorter extension, because using a long extension which is not extended very far or not at all really makes the mast stiffer then it should be, and downhauling becomes harder than it should be. But you keep trying, since the sail still needs more downhaul, and then something breaks.

I guess I should consider myself lucky I broke a $2 pulley instead of a $75 carbon extension.