help with 3 questions Tabernacle , cboard and mast supports

[bkafer]

I'm new to the DS II world and really had never seen one close up before I bought this boat. I have 3 questions maybe you can help me with.
.
1. The boat has a Tabernacle , the bottom of the mast that goes thru the deck and has had a few layers of putty or who knows what added.
When I clean this out, should I add a bead of silicon or what?
Heres a pic.

[This image (547) is no longer available]
.
Question 2. On the bottom of the hull , on each side of the Cboard are metal plates. are they to protect the hull as pressure is applied from the board? or what. Should I remove them and rebed the screws? The glass around them is chipped and may also get a layer of glass. Heres a pic:

[This image (548) is no longer available]
.
Question 3.
There is a galvanized pole with a crotch on top. It connects to the gudgeons on the hull. The mast sits in the crotch and its used for towing the boat. I towed the boat home about 70 miles with no problems. The last owner said he trailered the boat from NJ to Mass. a few times a year and never had any problems. please look at the pic and let me know if you think this setup will hurt the hull or if you think its not strong enough . I beat the welds with a hammer to see if they would break before I towed the boat, and no problem.

[This image (549) is no longer available]

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Adrift]

1. You can use silicone if you wish. (I didn't caulk mine, been thinking about it though.) Doing that will help keep spray and rainwater out of the cuddy. Big boats with mast steped keels go to quite a bit of effort to seal the partners so to keep water out of the cabin. Small boats it is rather uncommon to go to the trouble. Racers probably want to wedge it one way or another.

2. That isn't factory, (on an O'Day DS II) unless they changed something that I never saw. Ugly repair? Skids to protect the bottom from rough beaches / trailer frame? (Too small) lightning grounds?

3. The gudgeons are pretty sturdy. The way my mast is (un) rigged it it supported at 3 points (trailer post forward, mast stump midships, and a post in the cockpit aft). With a similar layout, only 1/3 of a rather light mast weighs on the aft support (gudgeons). You're probably OK.

[Felix Graham-Jones]

1） Depends on what you're doing with your boat - if you're going to trailer it more than once a season, caulking the partners is a waste of time.
2) I've never seen an arrangement like that but it dawns on me to wonder - are those plates holding in some kind of retainer for the centerboard pin? Can you get access to the centerboard hinge pin through inspection ports in the cockpit floor? If so, do some careful investigating - it'll set you in good stead 'cos then you'll be one step ahead when your cb hangs up some day or you get weird thumping noises when running.
3) They aren't quite as exotic as yours, but mechanically that's precisely how my rear mast prop is hung. For several years now that and a mast stub are all that have supported my mast whilst towing without any problems.
Enjoy your DS when you get it into the water.
Fair winds and following seas
Felix

[Roger]

To your first question, the best way to seal the mast partner, it to use a mast boot. A trip to your local plumbing harware store, and getting a $2 3" or so flexible hose connector, invert it so the rib is outside, goop up your mast with dish detergent, and slide it into place. It makes for a snug fit and will keep the water out.

Your second question... some DS II were manufactured with these wedges that hold the CB pivot pin in place. That's what those are. It makes it easy to remove the board from underneath, and solves the problem of CB pivot pin leaks into the inner hull. I would rebed them with silicone, but not glass them in.

Your final question, has already been answered by others but I would add that I stabalize any sideways movement over long hauls by tieing the mast down to each side of the quarter deck to prevent swaying. I also usually stuff an old lifejacket between the mast partner hole and the mast to stabalize the middle of the mast and allow it to rest on the cuddy roof while in transit.

[redtailseven]

Roger is probably right about these plates being wedges for the CB. I thought they might be some sort of repair because they look so rough. The fiberglass around them looks pretty beat up. When you take them out as Roger suggested. Check the fiberglass. You may want to rebuild this area next winter and rebed the wedges, especially if water has snuck into the laminations.
Fiberglass is not a mystery, just messy--especially if done overhead. Carefully read a manual like Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair by Don Casey. My guess is that you won't hurt any thing more by sailing this summer. Let it dry out for a few months and work on it in January. Then you can think about sailing all winter! Don't worry about gelcoat either, its the bottom of the boat after all. Finally, look at the trailer, its probably the culprit. Ill bet that you move a roller.

[bkafer]

I filled the holes near the cboard plates with a fiberglass resin with cabosil added.
once hardened I sanded it nice and smooth.
I rebed the screws with a silicon sealant . works great!