Well, my first attempt to lower the mast and trailer my new (to me) 1986 H23 received mixed reviews. The good news is that the trailer rebuild was a complete success. The new drop axle, surge brakes, bunks, and loading guides (goal posts) worked very well. I moved the winch post on the trailer as far forward as possible (about 5") and ended up with about 240 lbs of tounge weight. It took a couple of tries to get the boat loaded far enough forward on the trailer (had to find out how far to back the trailer into the water. The MacGregor "stomp" didn't work for me at all. The boat trailers very well and I really like the surge brakes. My last boat trailer didn't have brakes. The bad news is that despite having two strong men, the Kenyon mast twisted as it went down, tearing the plate out of the bottom of the mast. I built a mast bipod but had not found suitable foam cushion for the mast collar. I was in a hurry to get the boat out of its slip and figured that surely we could handle it. It all happened in slow motion. Using a block & tackle we lowered the mast... and it was working fine until a wind gust pushed it to the side. The bottom mast plate twisted off, tearing two small holes in the rear of mast about an inch from the bottom. Nothing else was damaged. I felt the frustration that so many have written about in the H23 forum. I love the boat so will not give up on her...just need to get the mast fixed. Has anyone else damaged their mast like this. Any suggestions about getting it fixed...parts availability, etc ? Thanks, Ed Doran
Damaged Mast Base
- Thread starter Ed Doran
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Fixed similar problem
2 years ago, rough seas caused my mast to twist and grind on the hinged mast step.It worked the foot of the mast so bad,that a section 2" high and 1/4 of the circumference snapped off at the foot! It looked like someone took a bite out of it! My fix was to saw off 2" from the foot of the mast. I then installed a 2" block of wood on the cabin top, and mounted the hinged mast step on top of that. This repair has worked for 2 years with no problems. The mast was further damaged in a storm last fall, so I am replacing it.
2 years ago, rough seas caused my mast to twist and grind on the hinged mast step.It worked the foot of the mast so bad,that a section 2" high and 1/4 of the circumference snapped off at the foot! It looked like someone took a bite out of it! My fix was to saw off 2" from the foot of the mast. I then installed a 2" block of wood on the cabin top, and mounted the hinged mast step on top of that. This repair has worked for 2 years with no problems. The mast was further damaged in a storm last fall, so I am replacing it.
A possibility
I know nothing of "normal" mast steps for the h23, so I don't understand what happened to your mast, but this is what mine looks like. Seems like it would be a simple fix if you could find the parts. Nothing on the bottom of the mast, no hinges or such, just holes to put the bolt through. Mac
I know nothing of "normal" mast steps for the h23, so I don't understand what happened to your mast, but this is what mine looks like. Seems like it would be a simple fix if you could find the parts. Nothing on the bottom of the mast, no hinges or such, just holes to put the bolt through. Mac
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