Attaching Mast Footing

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Attaching Mast Footing

Postby Ttrex2 » Wed Aug 10, 2022 2:20 pm

Hello all, I am looking for various options on how to re-attach my mast footing to floor of my day sailer 1. looking into the old screw holes I can see into the bilge. There is nothing there for the footing screws to attach to. Is there some kind of filler I could use that would be strong enough to hold the screws? Would I need to cut open the fiber glass and install a wooden block. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Tom
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Ttrex2
 
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Re: Attaching Mast Footing

Postby GreenLake » Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:50 am

Tom, welcome to the forum!

The good news is that the tension on the stays will push the mast down, so these screws don't need to hold the mast-step down. Instead, they act like "pegs" to simply fix the location.

I see some slight cracking in the gelcoat of the keelson (around the screw holes). It would be only prudent to check whether there's any weakness in the laminate under the mast step. Does it feel soft or does it flex?

If that's all OK, then a solution might be as simple as using a drywall anchor or something like it, to prevent the screws from pulling out. Again, there's not much strain in the upward direction, so there's no need to over engineer.

In case the laminate shows noticeable damage, a solution could be to simply add a layer of fiberglass. There are two options. You can get sheets of pre-laminated fiberglass board and you could cut a piece the size of the wooden block and glue it to the keelson with epoxy. Or you could laminate several layers of fiberglass cloth. A stiff piece of aluminum (perhaps 3/16" or 1/4") would work as well. All of these could be drilled to give the screws some "bite" again.

Before gluing or laminating, you'd want to sand off the paint or gelcoat that covers the laminate at that point to give a better bond.

If you add to the height of the mast step by adding material on top of the keelson, you might need to adjust the length of your stays accordingly; unless the difference falls in your usual adjustment range.

Generally, as long as the compression load is transferred eventually to the vertical walls of the keelson, there should be no need to add wood blocks (which also have the downside of being prone to rot at that location).

Let us know if this worked out for you.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Attaching Mast Footing

Postby Ttrex2 » Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:04 pm

Thank you Green Lake for the advice.
The "Keelson"! I didn't know the proper term for that part of the boat. Thanks! The cracks around the holes in the keelson appear to be in the gel coat only. The laminate is rock solid. I like the idea of a 1/4 piece of aluminum. Not sure if I would epoxy it on or drill new holes in the keelson to attach it. Maybe both.
Thanks,
Tom
Ttrex2
 
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Re: Attaching Mast Footing

Postby GreenLake » Thu Aug 11, 2022 6:12 pm

If the keelson is solid, shouldn't require much, but pick what feels right.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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