37C Mast Step

[Jim Legere]

Steve, I don't see how a sleeve would work in this case - If you sleeved the bottom 6 inches or so that is corroded and needs reinforcing, the mast would no longer fit over the shoulder tabs on the mast step. That's why Mathurin had to cut off the bottom of his spar and raise up the mast step by the same amount.

 

[Bill1565]

I'm with Jim. Sleve will not fit over mast base. Also max 1/2" around mast to fit thru deck plate.

Believe it or not, an unemployed general contractor put me in touch with a former mast builder from Lauderdale here in my little town . Kenyon will sell me a foot of mast section for $325. Don't yet know what I'm going to do, but now I have choices.

 

[Steve Dion]

Jim:

What they would do is get a piece of mast the same size as would be removed and a sleeve to connect the original mast to the new piece.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Bill, why is there a question? Is it because you do not know the condition of your current step? If that step is good why would you not just elevate it a few inches and cut that much off the mast? And is the mast really that bad? Sometimes that corrosion looks worse than it is. That is some pretty thick aluminum. It would have to be to cost $325. a foot.

And Steve is right, you would have to sleeve it to add a foot. Does someone make a sleeve?

 

[Jim Legere]

Easiest way to make a sleeve

An accepted way to produce a sleeve is to cut it from a piece of the same section. If you cut the mast track / wire channel plus a bit more (say 1/2 to 3/4" each side) you would have a sleeve. Might take a band clamp or something to compress it a bit to get it started in. Of course now you have spent $650 for TWO feet of spar. I agree with Ed and Mathurin - cut a bit off the spar and raise the mast step. Check out Mathurin's thread or blog for how he did it. Looks pretty robust: http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=119573

 

[Mathurin]

I've seen a mast that had broke in two bein sleeved form the inside, but the sleeve extended at least a foot and a half in both direction and there was billions of screws holding the two sections togheter. So you would basically need to buy at least 2 foot of mast section so that the base if cleared, then you still need a sleeve which you will need to order custom somewhere (not sure that you will even find anyone to do it...). Just cut out the 4 inches or so that are rotten down there and raise the base. Just bring the old base to a local machine shop and the guy sould be able to do that no problem. Two 4x4x.25 are an easy way to boost the height of the base by 4 inches without too much work, and it's a really cheap solution...

As for metal prop, Jim you are right that it isn't a big issue, but still, I would prefer avoiding welding two sections togheter down the bottom of the mast where the lever effect and shearing efforts are the most important when underway, compared to the top of the mast that is mostly used to hold things in place and is mostly solicitated in compression....

 

[Mark Price]

I think my mast has been sleaved

There is a series of rivets around the base of my mast that are about 4 inches apart and about spaced about every 4 inches around the mast section. They extend up the mast from the bildge to about 2 feet above the bilgde boards. Ill see if I can find a photo but I believe a section was cut from the bottom and a internal sleave as used to join two mast sections but I can not find the joint from the outside. It was done by a PO.

Mark

 

[Mark Price]

Here is a photo

Here is 2 shots of the rivets. First shot you can see two on the far left. In the second photo there are two rivets on left and two on right side of the mast, the heads of the rivets are just barely visible at the edge of the mast.

Mark

 

[Bill1565]

Never seen a splice with rivets before, the few I have seen are with bighead flat screws.

My hero mast builder a. doesn't have a portable welder, b. is not in favor of a butt weld to add on to cut down mast like Blaise had done. c. suggested the same inner sleve approach as mentioned above, cut a slice out of mast section, squeeze into mast, drill and tap.

Have an aluminum welder with a portable rig coming monday.

ED S. I have real concerns about positioning the mast step properly after removing it. My boat has 2 ears welded to the deck collar and had a bolt running thru the mast. If I get the base wrong, and use the bolt, the masthead 48 feet above the bolt will be off 6 or 7 x. I had very little rake, but the helm balanced beautifully as a sloop. Don't expect staysail to change balance much.

I have neither Malthurin's equipment or skill to make a riser. Would have to be designed and bought. I don't know, but my guess would be that it will cost near the foot of extrusion and take longer. kenyon already has 5280 extrusion. all they need do is slice me a piece.

Gonna take most of today off. Take the Admiral to a farmers market, then big lunch date at Home Depot. Think about what to do next.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Makes sense to me Bill. If you can get a mast section and a good fitting sleeve that will certainly work. All of the new Selden masts ship in two pieces with the new larger boats I think. Pretty sure those are riveted. I cannot remember how long the sleeves are.