I noticed these hairline cracks on side the compression post. Nothing else seems to be disturbed. Should I be concerned.?
Compression Post
- Thread starter betzhunter
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Unfortunately, it looks like the beginning, Bub. Mine did not show cracks in the beam bottom, but I could see the beam bottom was depressed. There were cracks on the forward side where the front trim board started taking the load. I think the crack and deformation pattern depends who was handling the saw for the internal wood that the post bears on, inside the beam.. I think that they cut the wood differently on different days.. It is a pretty big job to even inspect, so ya want to consider and look carefully.. On mine, the front wood had turned to mush but there was still good stuff under the back side.
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Sorry but Kloudie is right. Sooner than later you better address the situation. Here's how I did mine. Long and tedious but not overly expensive if you do all the work yourself and you have access to a friendly machine shop to do the stainless and aluminum parts. Good luck and don't hesitate to come back with questions.
Looks like I'm up next for a compression beam/post replacement. Mine looks worse than those pics with the glass deformed fore and aft. The bottom is also deforming.
Hey Bub...
Here's a pix of the same area Kloudie showed. Mine has had the same cracks, without change, since I bought the boat in 2004. The Claudes are correct, though, that it is the earliest of warnings that all is not right.
In as much as mine has not changed or shown signs of water penetration, I am still keeping my fingers crossed while maintaining a watchful eye.
P.S.:
On closer exam of you pix, it appears that the cracks are also on the main cabin side of the compression post. This is much more significant.
Here's a pix of the same area Kloudie showed. Mine has had the same cracks, without change, since I bought the boat in 2004. The Claudes are correct, though, that it is the earliest of warnings that all is not right.
In as much as mine has not changed or shown signs of water penetration, I am still keeping my fingers crossed while maintaining a watchful eye.
P.S.:
On closer exam of you pix, it appears that the cracks are also on the main cabin side of the compression post. This is much more significant.
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Wow Claude A. great write up! Question before I dive into this should I look for other signs around the foot of the mast area or other indications of this failure? Will the deck under the mast start to cave in sorta, cracks around etc...
Thanks for everyones input ..
Bub
Thanks Dan for your input, after looking at your picture and then comparing it to the same side of the post I show no cracking or deforming in that same area. I'll take some more pictures when I return to the boat.
Thanks again,
Bub
Claude how did you repair the post without removing the mast? Anyway I was out by your marina the other day and saw your boat was gone and all the slips were removed. Are they rebuilding that area? I would use your boat for reference since it was close to me. Now I can't find it.
Bub
Hey, Bub.. I am in Oak Harbor (Anchorage Marina) in Slidell while they re-furb our slips in Mandeville. Wife, Susan, and I were out Friday and today.. Just now back in Baton Rouge.. I will probably be back there next week .. I can give you a shout .. Basically, I loosened all the stays/shrouds.. took out the holding tank settee.. removed the door trim from the post.. Jacked the deck up a smidge.. (2X6 about a foot long to spread the load, 4X4 .. little bottle jack.. the post popped right out. used a vibrating multitool to cut the bottom of the beam out the same size as the post.. got in there and removed the rotted wood .. machined a big block of aluminum to exactly fit the hole and tall enough to reach from under the deck to where the top of the pole is going to be.. (I made a balsa wood model to get the correct shape) then used thickened epoxy to glue the aluminum block in place, using 2X4 and a jack to press everything together..
I have a bunch of pictures that show the progress.. Best would be to remove the mast so you could re-bed the mast step, but I didn't want to do that ..
I have a bunch of pictures that show the progress.. Best would be to remove the mast so you could re-bed the mast step, but I didn't want to do that ..
Thanks Claude, I would like to see the pictures. Our boat is also at oak harbor marina
.Been there since February.
.Been there since February.
Splax...
The compression post issue seems to be common to the '84 and later models. The '83's had a different mast base, which seems to be one of the reasons it isn't as common an issue with the first year boats with the large mast step.
From observation of this forum, the primary cause of water getting to the cross-beam/compression post would appear to be the shortness of the tube carrying the mast wiring through the deck and production issues relating to it.
By '87 Hunter may have made a production line correction of the cause for this (fired the dummy, etc.) as I don't recall hearing of many complaints among '87 owners. This is MHO and conjecture as to cause.
The compression post issue seems to be common to the '84 and later models. The '83's had a different mast base, which seems to be one of the reasons it isn't as common an issue with the first year boats with the large mast step.
From observation of this forum, the primary cause of water getting to the cross-beam/compression post would appear to be the shortness of the tube carrying the mast wiring through the deck and production issues relating to it.
By '87 Hunter may have made a production line correction of the cause for this (fired the dummy, etc.) as I don't recall hearing of many complaints among '87 owners. This is MHO and conjecture as to cause.
We replaced the compression post in our 1987 Hunter 31 last year. We used an Ironwood post, hard as steel, no rot. Also did it with mast up.
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