33.5 compression post

[Barney14498]

I just bought a 1988 33.5 last march & just pulled the teak off the compression post to check it out since I've read alot about my boat on this site. The two by fours are rotten. I was wondering if anybody has replaced it without having to unstep the mast. I thought I could brace it with piece of steel on one side where the teak cover went. Also is their pins holding the post in place or bolts on topside. Any info would be great.

 

[Daryl]

Compression Post

I changed one on my h34. I planned on adding a temporary post next to the original one during the swap. You need to release tension from the rigging prior to doing that. I'd add the temp. beam before I took the teak cover off the original because the teak is likely holding more than the inside "post".Ultimately I decided to pull the mast so I could rewire it. These was no attachment of the original post to the top beam or lower stringer. There were wires in a channel in the back of the post. I replaced the wood with stainless and ad a flange welded at each end. I screwed the flange to the stringer an top beam to insude it didn't move. Have fun!

 

[Steve Dion]

What is the big deal.

Barry:What is the big deal in unstepping the mast. It will cost a couple of hundred dollar to unstep and restep the mast but if you are going to do it you should consider doing it only once "correctly".When we had ours done it only need the compression post and the attached bulkhead. Ours was replaced with a Stainless post (never going to rot again) and that was reboxed with the teak. We did not need to get into the crossmember that also need to be checked for rot. You should also inspect the deck around this area too.