The mast that came with my old Widgeon was really bent. I took some cushions and placed them in a fork in a tree and put the mast between the cushions and slowly bent the mast, moving the mast forward and backward until it amazingly was as straight as when it was new. At first I tried bending the mast and tied a rope to another tree to hold the bend in shape overnight. This did not work. I have found that most metal objects that have kinks and bends will want to conform to its original shape if you are careful in bending, and finding the right spot to apply the pressure to the object.