Well this weekend's project didn't turn out like I had planned. I bought the spartite mast wedge/seal kit (http://www.westmarine.com/buy/spartite--spartite-mast-wedge-replacement-system--P002_065_007_501) and planned to remove the mast deck plate and clean and re-bed it and then apply the spartite in an effort to stop leaks at the mast hole.
Well for reasons I am not 100% sure of, there was a SS pin installed through my mast resting on the collar of the mast plate. (See pic). In order to re-bed the plate I have to remove this pin...? What is this pin for? I have a keel step mast..... there was some pressure on the pin but by standing on the deck close to the mast plate I could push down (rather than loosen all the rigging) using the boom as leverage and have a friend push the pin out ....ok, pin out...nothing happend...a good sign..lift/pry plate up, very little sealant found, ..well maybe I can stop the leaking...pretty obvious this is where water is coming from....but now that the plate is up, the area where the plate was was really indented downward...as feeling with your had across the deck...as if there was a lot of pressure in the plate....hmmmm....well I called a marine mechanic who I knew was already in the marina and he came over and eyeballed the area and said " I think your sinking.." ..I looked at him not sure what he meant....he then said,..your mast, ...not the boat.
We then went below and sure enough, he showed me where the shelf that the mast is supported by was delaminted and sagging,...what the hell? So now I am wondering how all this happened and what to do to fix this.
He said, loosen the rigging and we install wedge blocks under the shelf to support the mast...I think on it overnight and think,... in order to do this right, the mast will need to be removed, the sagging shelf lifted up, then supported by fiberglassed blocks and the shelf re-glassed....geez,,,now I think,...maybe this has been this way for a long time and that pin had been installed by one of the PO in an effort to reduce pressure on the failing mast base (that was sagging) and move some of the pressure to the deck? ..that explains why the area under the deck plate is so depressed...not good...HELP!!!!!
Well for reasons I am not 100% sure of, there was a SS pin installed through my mast resting on the collar of the mast plate. (See pic). In order to re-bed the plate I have to remove this pin...? What is this pin for? I have a keel step mast..... there was some pressure on the pin but by standing on the deck close to the mast plate I could push down (rather than loosen all the rigging) using the boom as leverage and have a friend push the pin out ....ok, pin out...nothing happend...a good sign..lift/pry plate up, very little sealant found, ..well maybe I can stop the leaking...pretty obvious this is where water is coming from....but now that the plate is up, the area where the plate was was really indented downward...as feeling with your had across the deck...as if there was a lot of pressure in the plate....hmmmm....well I called a marine mechanic who I knew was already in the marina and he came over and eyeballed the area and said " I think your sinking.." ..I looked at him not sure what he meant....he then said,..your mast, ...not the boat.
We then went below and sure enough, he showed me where the shelf that the mast is supported by was delaminted and sagging,...what the hell? So now I am wondering how all this happened and what to do to fix this.
He said, loosen the rigging and we install wedge blocks under the shelf to support the mast...I think on it overnight and think,... in order to do this right, the mast will need to be removed, the sagging shelf lifted up, then supported by fiberglassed blocks and the shelf re-glassed....geez,,,now I think,...maybe this has been this way for a long time and that pin had been installed by one of the PO in an effort to reduce pressure on the failing mast base (that was sagging) and move some of the pressure to the deck? ..that explains why the area under the deck plate is so depressed...not good...HELP!!!!!
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