Since purchasing my own windsurfing equipment last year, the largest bane to my windsurfing existence has been my mast. The mast comes in two halves; the top of one half slides into the bottom of the other half to make a really long pole. After a few hours of compression in the sail, bouncing on waves, and cooking in the sun, the two halves cement together almost inseparably. This causes a giant headache at packing time; disassembly will require tug-of-war with a friend.Sand, salt, or dirt are the real problem. Little particles of whatnot in the joint act like glue holding the halves together.
Yesterday I unveiled my new secret weapon: a $2 bottle brush. I vigorously scrubbed both sides of the connection before assembling the mast. As always, I used a bit of electrical tape to seal the joint. Then I surfed in Lake Travis for three hours.
When I returned to shore to pack, I felt the usual dread. Would the mast come apart this time? I removed my fin, twisted the boom off, released the downhaul, and pulled the mast from the sail.
My apprehension increased as I peeled the black tape from the mast. I grasped each half of the mast in one hand and pulled. To my surprise, the two halves slid apart easier than uncapping a pen. Victory!
I love my bottle brush.
1 comment:
Bottle brushes rule (and they're cheap!) Check out this little number.
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