A mast for a sailboat and a method of manufacturing the mast or other structural
member for a boat, which is produced in a female mold. Any augmentation of the
deflection resistance of the structural member is provided by fabric-resin fabric
added to the interior surfaces of the until the desired deflection characteristics
are achieved. The mast is formed from at least two parts, which in the preferred
embodiment are joined together by seam anchor strips, preferably in conjunction
with a fabric-resin insert that overlays the interior of the seam strip and extends
over a portion of the mast half body. If additional fabric-resin fabric is required
after testing, it can be added to the inside surfaces of the mast parts before
the trailing seam is sealed. The structural member of the invention accordingly
requires no external finishing, and the appearance, taper and aerodynamic characteristics
thereof are fully determined by the mold, resulting in a consistently accurate,
uniform and aesthetically pleasing product that is considerably less expensive
to produce than a conventional fabric-resin structural member and substantially
stronger than a comparable aluminum structural member.
