So I finally bought my first cat (a Nacra 5.0) which is very exciting. It needs some TLC - but structurally it's good to go. One of the things that I want to fix is the mast - it is currently peeling all the coating/flaking off.

Any ideas on how to/what not to do in terms of getting this to look better?

There is a firm in town that does Soda blasting (like sandblasting but less harsh) that would strip the paint/coating off (is this toxic?). But after that what have people done in the past? Clearcoat the aluminum? Spray paint or anodize (which seems expensive).

I can sail with it as is...but......

Appreciate any thoughts/tips.
Thanks,

if you have a choice, anodizing will last the longest.. but YES its gonna cost you to have a 28' (or so) mast done. the next best would be powder coat..

the cheapest and easiest is to paint it with rustolium or similar and could give decent results for a few years.

I just did mine over the weekend. The key to dealing with painting aluminum is the primer. You need to use "zinc chromate" primer. After that I just used Rust-oleum. It looks great, will be easy to touch up and was cheap.

BTW, I'd use a chemical stripper to get the old paint off and then just scuff sand the mast for good adhesion of the primer.

Good luck

I've used Duplicolor automotive self etching primer as a base on anodized aluminum and it creates an excellent bonding surface for the final spray coat. I did a boom once and just to test the job out lightly struck it with a wrench to see how much of the finish would come off. Almost none till I used a sharper object and then only down to the primer.

Great thanks.

Now that I know that it can be and has been done - I will go down this path - and take pictures as I go.

Thanks again,
David

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So I finally bought my first cat (a Nacra 5.0) which is very exciting.

Congrats Atl76! The thread you started helped me as well. I'm going with the 5.7, can't wait. Hope you enjoy yours.