Sunday Times Teaser 2653 – Tough Guys

by H Bradley and C Higgins

A ship has two identical vertical masts on the centre line of its deck. These masts are a whole number of feet tall and are seven feet apart horizontally.

The tops of these masts mast are each attached by straight guy ropes to the same anchor point on the centre line of the deck.

One rope is two feet longer than the other and their combined length is a whole number of feet.

What is the height of the masts?