"Last trip out, we let the mast down too fast and it pulled the bracket out of the top of the boat"
This statement causes me serious concern. What this really says is the mast got away from them and it crashed down hard. For it to pull the step out, it had to have some momentum and the sliding hatch acted as a fulcrum. I would take a long, hard look at the sliding hatch for impact damage as well as the back of the mast for any dents where it impacted the hatch, and then the traveler bar. Finally, look closely at the masthead as well because after the step pulled out, it likely hit the traveler bar and then slid back as it continued to pivot and the masthead likely hit the ground. If you find that the mast is dented or tweaked anywhere from the incident, I would take a pass on the whole thing.