Contoy Catamaran Masts

Naval Engineering · SNM Shipyard · Yucatán, México

At Servicios Náuticos de México, nothing is left to chance. Every component of our day charter catamarans is selected with a clear standard: durability in tropical environments, safety for hundreds of passengers, and the lowest possible maintenance cost for the operator. The mast is no exception.

20 m Mast height

+20 Years building

150+ Passengers per vessel

Why the mast is the most important decision in the rig

When a tour operator evaluates a day charter catamaran, the conversation usually revolves around passenger capacity, engines, and deck layout. The mast is rarely discussed. And yet, the mast is the structural element that transfers the power of the wind to the hull, absorbing dynamic forces that vary with sea state, passenger load, and vessel speed.

An undersized mast or one made from lower-grade alloys can cause vibrations, progressive deformation, and in extreme cases, structural failure under adverse conditions. For a vessel operating every day of the year with passengers aboard in the Caribbean, that is simply not an option.

"The mast is the soul of the rig: when it's right, you don't notice it. When it's wrong, you notice it at the worst possible moment."

Why France: the nautical industry that leads global rigging

France is not just Lagoon or Fountaine Pajot. Behind the world's most recognized catamaran brands lies an entire industrial supply chain of mast, rigging, and spar specialists that exists nowhere else with the same technical depth. Manufacturers such as Sparcraft, Z-Spars, and Marechal Masts have spent decades developing high-alloy aluminum profiles specifically for heavy-use multihulls, optimizing the balance between stiffness, weight, and aerodynamic inertia.

French anodized aluminum masts offer a critical advantage for Caribbean operations in particular: excellent resistance to salt corrosion, without the maintenance costs associated with carbon fiber, and with a significantly longer operational lifespan than profiles produced in lower-specialization markets.

Technical specs · SNM Contoy Mast

Height 20 meters Sized for the sail plan of the Contoy 70	Material Anodized aluminum High European alloy, resistant to tropical corrosion
Origin France Specialized manufacturing for heavy-use multihulls	Rig type Fractional / masthead Configurable to the operator's sail plan
Standing rigging 316 stainless steel Marine-certified cables and terminals	Maintenance Minimal Annual inspection recommended in tropical environments

What this mast means for daily operations

For a Caribbean tour operator, vessel reliability is not an abstract concept — it is the number of tours that depart on time, the reputation built with agencies and hotels that resell your services, and the peace of mind of not facing unexpected repair costs in the middle of high season.

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Structural stability under maximum load

With up to 150 passengers aboard and variable wind conditions, the 20 m mast absorbs dynamic forces without transmitting vibrations to the hull or the passenger deck.

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Built for the Caribbean's salt environment

The high-alloy anodizing creates a lasting protective barrier against salt, constant humidity, and the intense UV radiation of the Mexican Caribbean and the Antilles.

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Predictable, low-cost maintenance

Unlike carbon masts, anodized aluminum does not require frequent specialized technical inspections and responds well to standard shipyard maintenance protocols.

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Precision fit with the Contoy design

The mast is not an off-the-shelf component — it is sized for the specific sail plan of the Contoy 70, ensuring the sail area-to-displacement ratio is optimal for coastal navigation with high passenger capacity.

Importing as a technical decision, not a luxury one

Some may ask why SNM imports the mast from France instead of sourcing locally. The answer is straightforward: no suppliers in Mexico produce nautical aluminum profiles of this caliber — with the engineering tolerances, surface treatments, and production consistency that guarantee uniformity across vessels in a fleet.

For an operator purchasing two, three, or five catamarans for their day charter fleet, technical uniformity across units matters enormously: the same maintenance procedures, the same spare parts, the same learning curve for nautical staff.

Importing the right component is a decision that reduces total cost of ownership over the vessel's lifetime. It is exactly the kind of standard that has defined SNM across more than 20 years of shipbuilding in the Caribbean.

"We build the hulls in Mexico with pride. And we source the rigging where the engineering is best, regardless of geography. That is what our clients deserve."

The complete rig: mast, standing rigging, and boom as a system

The 20-meter mast is the backbone of a broader system that includes 316 stainless steel standing rigging, the boom, furling systems, and deck terminals. At SNM, all of these components are specified together to ensure loads are distributed evenly and predictably across the structure.

This integrated approach matters for operators who prioritize safety aboard: a well-integrated rig not only performs better — it fails predictably when something falls outside tolerance, making it easier to detect problems early before they escalate.

Ready to see the Contoy 70 from the inside?

Request the full technical datasheet or schedule a visit to our shipyard in Progreso, Yucatán. We build the catamaran your fleet needs.

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