How to detach mast base from mast on H-33?

[Bob Pullen HC-33 1981]

I've pulled the mast from the deck on Seanorita, our 1981 H-33. The entire mast and pulpit came off as one piece.
Does anyone have any experience in detaching the bottom cast aluminum step or pulpit from the mast? Is there a collar inside the mast? If so, how long?
I have searched the archives, but I don't find a clear explanation.
I posted this on the hunter forum, but maybe it belongs in the Cherubini's section.
Many thanks as usual for all your excellent advice and assistance.
Bob Pullen
S/V Seanorita
Yucatan

 

[Ed Schenck]

I looked in the Rig-Rite site but could not find your mast base. I thought I had read that the base is male, the mast female, and it inserts two or three inches. I am surprised that an H33 owner has not commented. I guess I would work with a wooden mallet to try to loosen and then heat.

 

[Paul F]

Just had the mast un-stepped three weeks ago on my 1980 33. As you know the step should stay with the boat. The step is a stud that fits inside the mast. The mast should have just pulled off of it. As Ed suggests if it didn't you will have to force it off. Did pulling the whole thing off do any damage?

 

[Bob Pullen HC-33 1981]

How to Detach mast step from mast of H-33 (1981) ?

Thanks for the replies.
Yes, what passes for pulling a mast in Isla Mujeres, is worthy of the "best comedy of the year" award. They bring over the travel lift to your boat...then since they don't have any working winches other than the straps, someone climbs up to the cross-member, and ties a pulley on it, the mast is then positioned under it...no straps on the boat, with the hawser loosely pulled up to the spreaders (mistake in my opinion...should have been tied low to the base as well, at least).
The hawser's other (bitter) end is then threaded thru the pulley up at the travel lift cross beam, then goes all the way back down to the bumper of an old beatup toyota pickup with several of the heaviest yard hands in the bed. Then the truck is given the go ahead (slowly, I said!!!) while we all pray. We loosened all bolts (compression post and the 4 that hold the step to the deck), sprayed tons of PB-blaster, and after a lot of consternation it came off the deck...
clipped the wires and...no damage!
I will try the mallet to see if I can get it off the mast tomorrow. I want to prevent heating or deforming that lower flange/flat part which is in contact with the deck.
Many thanks.
Bob

 

[Bob Pullen HC-33 1981]

thanks Paul
any idea of how long is the male part of the collar that fits into the mast?
cheers
Bob

 

[Ed Schenck]

Bob, what about that stainless bracket that we see at the bottom aft of the mast? Was that for a vang? It looks like there are no rivets or machine screws in those holes. Will that come off? You should be able to look in those holes and tell how deep the mast base goes into the mast. For sure that bottom hole was tapped into the base. What about the next hole higher? If those rivets/screws were broken off they could be holding that mast to the base.

Then I think I would have someone hold a piece of 4x4 on top of that base while I smacked it with a 16# sledge. You are not going to deform that base with heat either.

 

[Paul F]

Bob, the base of your mast is considerably different than mine. On my boat the mast stops at the step, flush with the deck. The step does not have a halyard block or line inside of it. Is all of your step exposed above the deck? Mine is not. It is all inside the deck hidden. When the mast is up the step can not be seen. I would say the step on my boat inserts into the mast about 2.5".

 

[Bob Pullen HC-33 1981]

Yes, Ed. That is a garhauer boom vang, and we did remove the 2 hex nuts and 2 rivets holding it to the mast. Just wanted to hear if anyone else might have had trouble getting it detached. I will give it a go with some more persuasive methods, such as you mention as soon as soon I get a chance. Will update later. thanks again.
Bob

 

[Steve W]

Bob, looking at the picture you published, I haven't a clue why in the world that yard would have gone to the trouble of unbolting the mast step below, removing the compression post and then pulling the stick with the mast step attached. I owned the identical boat and every winter the boat was stored on the hard the mast was removed BUT it was just pulled off the base on deck. If you had left the mast step bolted to the deck the mast would have just pulled off the step.

Now that you're stuck with the step still inserted into the bottom of the mast, I'd go with the mallet and just keep whacking at the flange 'till it comes out of the bottom of the mast. That collar is only a couple of inches up inside the mast.

Next time leave the step bolted to the coachroof and pull the stick off the collar. The wiring will still be accessible (inside the the step). Then when you re-step, you re-connect the wiring and shove the connections up into the mast and you're done.

 

[Bob Pullen HC-33 1981]

Mast finally lets go of step on H-33 1981 Cherubini

Thank you all for your excellent help. Finally got it off with a lot of pb-blaster and finally a tiny bit of heat and some taps up and down the collar, then the first budge. Now we finally have a clean view throughout the mast!! And yes we found our 3rd halyard was indeed rubbing pretty tight on the wadded up slack that was shoved in there, as well as on the wrong side of the transversal piece black metal axis inside the step. It is now rethreaded and smooth like the others. New wiring tomorrow, which will run all the way through-deck to a connector box below on the compression post.
Will post the pictures once I clean up the corroded collar and inside corrosion around mast base.
We will probably re-attach step to deck first -- once I finish some of the inside work: reseating compression post, and filling hollow spots where headliner had sagged 1/8 inch, from above, with epoxy. Hydraulic jack inside has headliner where it should be around compression post. Drilling holes and filling with epoxy, as we have found the core to be dry. Wires were very well sealed passing through deck.
Once again thanks for the help.
Bob

 

[Steve W]

Bob, glad it worked out for you. Just a word of advice from someone who had the indentical boat for 19 years. Definitely bolt the step back onto the coachroof first! And make sure you use a lot of caulking on the underside of the step. Don't tighten the bolts down right away. Let the caulking set for a day or two and then tighten the bolts. At that point, unless you have to remove the compression post below, you should never have to touch that step again. Every time you need to un-step, the mast will slide right off the collar...

 

[sandpiper10471]

Or use Maine Sail's butyl tape for bedding. In any event, countersink the holes.

 

[Bob Pullen HC-33 1981]

Not sure which holes you are mentioning to countersink?

 

[sandpiper10471]

Any place a fastener enters the deck, countersink it. Read Maine Sail's article on bedding hardware with butyl tape on this site. It is most excellent and informative.