Mast Base

[Joe Cam]

1974 Daysailer II
Does anyone know how concerned I should be that my mast base is no longer attached to the cuddy floor? The two screws that were holding it in are still there but I'm able to lift it out without any resistance. Was it just attached to the fiberglass or something more sturdy? I figure with the mast stepped, and the stays attached, the mast is secure in place, correct?

Thanks,

Joe Cam

[GreenLake]

You do want to fix the mast against horizontal movement, whether fore-aft or sideways. Vertically, the mast is held down by the shrouds and forestay, so if your problem is merely that you can lift your mast step that's not where the real problem would be.

What keeps it from sliding horizontally?

[Joe Cam]

The two screws that protude out of the mast base into the cuddy floor are all that would prevent the horizontal movement. That and the hole the mast goes through at the cuddy roof.

I'm not sure if it's always been that way or not. I am painting the boat and noticed it while in the cuddy.

[GreenLake]

The hole in the cuddy roof acts as a fulcrum, so the mast step could still move if not secured. If the screws just act like "pins", that would still help, because they would have to be sheared off for the maststep to move.

If the fiberglass is sound and it's just a matter of the screws having widened the holes they are in, you could use the method K.C. has been advocating:

1. Wax the screw
2. Fill the holes with epoxy
3. Insert screw

Having the screw in the hole will let the epoxy cure and take up the extra room, while the wax will prevent it from bonding to the screw, so you should be able to remove it later.

Don't use the cheap double-syringe epoxy, or the 5 minute varieties. I've never had good success with any. Alternatives that have worked for me:

1. Marine Tex (paste like)
2. Silvertip Gel Magic from System Three (that's formulated as a glue)
3. six 10 from West System should be equivalent
4. Laminating epoxy from West, System Three, Mas etc.

Don't worry if the quantities these are sold in exceed what you need - good epoxies have a really long shelf life and you'll forever find uses for them thereafter

[Joe Cam]

Thanks for all the advise!

[talbot]

I had the same problem on a boat I used to own. If you stick a digital camera into one of the inspection ports and shoot forward, you will see that the mast rests on a block between the cuddy floor and keelson. It seems to be a chunk of resin. After filling the gaps in the worn holes and before reattaching the mast tabernacle, I took a square of 1/4" oak, cut out the profile of the mast step, and mounted it like a collar around the step. I had also removed the centerboard controls, and after the collar was in place, the CB blocks mounted on top of it and held it in place. My reasoning: The block under the mast would wear out again, and I wanted to spread some of the lateral stress across the floor. I haven't done the same on my current DS, but that's just because the step isn't loose and the reinforcement is several years' down on my list of repairs.

[GreenLake]

There's a parallel, DS1 specific thread here.

[Joe Cam]

Talbot,
Did you use adhesive or screws/bolts to attach the oak?