I've had Spartite on Gremellyn for 4.5 years now and you definitely have to follow the directions....plenty of vaseline. The first time we pulled the stick it came out no problem, but sounded like a champagne cork....POP! Of course the beauty is when you restep the mast, it slides in perfectly and no messing around with wedges et al.
Greg

Greg,
I am thinking about Spartite for Wind N Spirits. I take it from your comments that you recommend it. How did you set the mast properly without the wedges in place? I assume, dangerously I admit, that you must have first set it in place with the wedges and rigging adjusted and then removed the wedges before pouring the spartite. Did you encounter any difficulties during the process which may have been a surprise, etc. Were the directions from the company good and easy to follow? Thanks.
Glenn Gambel Wind N Spirits C&C 36

Glen -
As an early user of Spartite, I recommend it highly. The directions are very good, but you shouldn't second guess them...follow them exactly. Also, their calculations are good for the amount needed; don't short yourself and in fact too much is better. This is due to the fact that you need to pour above the partner (collar) to make a cap (you construct a tape dam to hold it in. With respect to wedges, etc. I had the mast properly tuned and placed in the partner with the wedges. I then rigged multipurchase lines (block and tackle) fore and aft (in this case bow cleats and aft winches on house), and athwartships (between shrouds and toe rail) to hold the mast in place, then removed the wedges (I had also measured the distances between the partner and mast at ca. 6 places). This allowed me to have the mast in the proper position. I then followed the Spartite directions vis a vis installing the "dams" with clay, etc. and vaseline. After the Spartite cures, it can be damaged by UV, so I painted mine with some white epoxy paint. There you go..somebody copy this and put it on Stu's web site!
Later, Greg

Glen:
Although your comments were not directed to me, I recently did this job and can offer some insights. There are also others on the list who have done the job and provided comments to me earlier this year. First, I made sure that the mast was tuned the way I want it, and that the mast was positioned in the base and at the partners the way I want it. Once the plug is set, you're stuck with that positioning (unless you want to cut the plug off and start over).
Second, once the mast is tuned, you will not have a problem with the base of the mast moving in the base plate area. You don't need shims or anything down below once that's set. However, you do need to lock in a position in the partners. For this, I tied various lines around the mast just above the deck and adjusted the position using blocks and winches. This way, I got the mast where I wanted it both fore and aft, and side to side (or as some would say, athwartships).
Third, the directions for the Spartite are relatively easy to understand. Having said that, this is one of those jobs where you should take your time and do it correctly once. Some points that should be highlighted: 1) make sure you have enough material before you begin pouring. I found that the partners cavity on a 34 requires a lot of material. I have noticed other boats that have a lot less cavity space when the mast is in. Although Spartite will tell you that you can do the job in stages if you run out of material, it is a real pain to clean the surface of the first pour (for adhesion) without getting vaseline all over the place; 2) speaking of vaseline, make sure you goop it on real good to allow the mast to come out easily the next time you drop the stick; 3) although Spartite advertises both "cruising" and "racing" products, their people are not too big on the cruising product. I got the sense that Spartite has had some issues with the cruising product. I would avoid it; and 4) as someone else on the list warned me, make sure that the dam you build for the liquid Spartite will not breach. This job could turn into one heck of a mess if it's not done correctly. Pay particular attention to the channel at the aft edge of the mast.
Other than that, just follow the directions. If I can do it, you can do it. Have fun.
Matt Wolford

MAKE sure the stuff doesn't leak! Mine did and it was a big PITA to keep it from getting on everything. If your mainsail track extends to the bottom of the mast make sure and plug it! Guess how I found that out? I found it to be a good idea to do 2 small pours as opposed to one big one. The second pour won't leak, and on a hot day you can do it pretty quickly after the first.
Joe Della Barba

someone remind me about the uses of spartite please... I pulled stick for first time this fall... and can't remember the gist of the thread on this. Many thanks.
Kate Mullins, NH Impulse, '72, 35'-Mk I

After listening to all of the precautions, potential and actual drippings and mess, what are the various advantages of Spartite again??????sounds like a lot of work to avoid setting a couple of wedges and sealing the space with a boot.
Ron C.

Ron -
In response to your question, it only took ca. 1/2 day total to do the spartite. It seals REALLY well, holds the mast much better than wedges (no point pressure), and if/when you unstep and restep the mast, it's a no brainer...perfectly adjusted in the partner. How's that for a summary? Standard disclaimer: I don't work for them, nor do I have stock, yada, yada.
Cheers, Greg