Loose Mast Step DS 1

[dcurle]

Apologies for so many posts this week. Winter is coming here in Minn. so there's a lot that needs to get done, fast!

My DS1 has a loose mast step. It's not only loose; it actually looks as if its position has been moved aft at some point.

Here's a picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidcurle ... 557679459/

In the picture, you can see the "shadow" of where I think it used to be, and an existing screw in one of the original positions. It looks like some previous owner simply moved the step back a couple of inches for some reason, and then attached it with a single screw. The place where the second screw in the original position would have been seems to be filled with some kind of putty.

So, questions:
1) Why would somebody move the step like this? And wouldn't that affect the handling of the boat? It would tilt the mast towards the bow by a few degrees.

2) More importantly, how to reattach in the original position?
I see there is an earlier thread on this that suggests that the cavity under the keelson fiberglass has no additional support.
http://forum.daysailer.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1814
That thread leaves unanswered the question of whether screws in the fiberglass give enough support. Perhaps it would, since the pressure on the screws would be lateral rather than pulling up on them. Has anyone tackled this more recently than that thread?

[dtrop01]

There could be a number of reasons for moving the mast step, mostly to balance the boat by changing the rake without necessarily change the amount of mast bend. That being said, it appears that it moved quite a bit, so I don't have a good explanation.

Screws will work, as both of my mast steps (I had to change to a channel style when I went from the stock mast to a ballengar spar), have been screwed in.

Regarding the cavity under the keelson, yes it is there, and yes it does fail. My failed a few years ago in the middle of a PCC's race up in Eugene. My fix was to create a block of spruce, epoxy and fibreglass it to keep it water tite, and bevel the bottom to match the contour of the boat bottom. Keep in mind that if you have the bow tank drain plug on the side of the keelson, you will have to create "channels" down the side for the water to pass. I then placed this in the keelson, and repaired the fiberglass on top. Being not very confident of my fiberglass repair, I also added a 1/8" or so aluminum plate on top of this, then put my mast step. This fix appears to have worked well.

Don
#2835

[ctenidae]

I have a screw jack, so can't help much on the mast step issue.

However, the keelson remarks are intriguing- my keelson is hollow (jack sits in a cutout with a through-bolt), but doesn't connect to the front bow tank. Is that normal? Seems like, structurally, it'd make sense to tie those together. As it is, it's a great place for water to collect that you can't really get to.

[kokko]

If you own a sailboat and participate in the forums, a constant and unanswerable question is "What the hell was the PO thinking?". We've all seen crazy stuff done to our boats.

I would put the step back in the original position. Fill the old holes with epoxy and redrill. Use ss screws and it is a good idea to put a nylon washer to prevent galvanic oxidation with the cast step.

On truelove, the compression post tends to lift out of the step when raising or lowering the mast. I drilled through the compression post and mast step and secured it with a pair of self-tapping screws. It's enough to keep it from lifting, and they are easily removed if necessary.

As for the keelson, it should be enough to support the mast. It is hollow and drains the forward flotation tank, but it thick enough to bear the force.

[seandwyer]

Yes - PO, what were you thinking?

I adjusted my step as well when I noticed that the mast was not flat on the casting, but at such an angle that only the forward most edge was coming into contact and bearing all the weight. I unscrewed the casting and beneath it found a second dirty outline suggesting that the casting had been moved backwards, along with another set of screw holes that had not been plugged. I decided that I would put it back where it had been and found the mast stub to be nice and flat on the casting. When I raised the mast however I found that the forestay turnbuckle could not be tightened up enough to make up for the different angle. I tied it down as if it were under tension and then measured from the tip of the mast to the back of the transom and found my distance to be spot on to what the tuning guidlines suggest. Off I went to the sail store, purchased a different turn buckle and everything worked out fine - and honestly, the boat performs better and seems more stable than before.

I also have the problem of the mast stub popping off the foot casting when raising. I used to use a 6 year old to hold onto it while I raised, but alas, he turned 7 and was no longer suitable for the job (or so he says). I went ahead and did the self tapping screw improvement as well and let me tell you - there is no reason in the world that I need any help stepping this mast anymore. It's a one man job and all the better as far as I'm concerned.