Hunter 146/170 Mast Foaming / Noodling

-------------------------------------------------------------------- Finally did it - YAY!!

------------------------------------------------------------------ -- I chose the NOODLING route rather than expanding foam. Being a reactionary at heart, I wanted a method for providing buoyancy that was reversible and updatable. I also was told by an undisclosed source from an undisclosed boat manufacturer in eastern Connecticut that noodles would be a good way to go, so it is unofficially endorsed.
- Having said that, all I am posting here is WHAT I did – not HOW it worked! That will have to wait for the trials!
But based on what I have heard from others, I am very hopeful!

-------------------------------------------------------------------- Things you need:
**-Rivet gun and 3/16 rivets **-2 noodles
**-Clear Silicone Sealant– water and UV resistant
**-Serrated knife for trimming the noodles (an old bread knife works great)
**-Duct tape
**-Weed whacker line (dont laugh)

-- I popped off the mast block by drilling out the rivets. Surprisingly, it took only a few gentle taps with a rubber mallet to pop it off.
A 5’ noodle would fit to within about 16” of where the shrouds and jib stay connect (no spreaders on a 146).

Trimmed one noodle so that it could slide in without getting stuck. Tapered the leading edge. Took what I trimmed, folded it, and pushed it down into the mast from the top with a long pole, hoping to fill that last 16 or so. Probably an unnecessary step.

It took a few fittings and trims to get it right. With a little persistence, got all but the last 2” in!!

Put plenty of silicone around the mast block – this is where you DON’T want water leaking in! Tap back in and rivet.

Trimmed noodle pushed in from top

Bottom of mast – pull out the mast step pin. Cut a piece of noodle slightly bigger than the mast, as a plug for the bottom. Being the neurotic person I am, I wanted to make it easy to pull this plug out if needed, so I made a backing out of duct tape, and threaded some weed-wacker line through, so that I could just pull on the line. (My husband laughed a lot at this idea, but helped me none-the-less.) Pushed it up just past the holes, and covered it with a thick coating of silicone seal.

Then gooped silicone around every fastener along the mast – don’t know if water can leak in from rivets, but I’m taking no chances!

DONE!!!!

Plug for bottom of mast with weed whacker cord

Just feed the extra line back up when stepping the mast. This plug is only for keeping water out - not flotation...figured its only the top of the mast that needs it.

Mast plug in place

Now, I also noodled the boom.
Just tapered and trimmed the other noodle, removed the eye at the far end, and noodled up to where the mainsheet connects. Here I did not worry about sealing things off – just wanted to add a little buoyancy there. By chance, one of the noodles was fluted, so I used that one – figured it would allow draining. (Removed bail and rubber ring first.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------While I was at it, mounted the Windex vane I got for Christmas! :D
Used rivets to mount it right to the top of the mast block. To protect the nylon wheels, just slid in an old metal tool to stop the drill in time.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Advantages of noodles…They’re free! You don’t have to wait for them to dry. You can get them farther down in the mast. They can be removed (I hope) if need be.
-------------------------------
Can’t wait to test it out! Will report back when I do.

Boom with noodle, mast block re-riveted