Can somone tell me the pros and cons of having a boat with a keel stepped mast and what if anything I should beware of? Any help would be much appreciated.
Keel Stepped Mast
- Thread starter Allan R
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Beware of. . .
water in the bilge. Water will find its way down the mast and into the bilge. You will always have a wet bilge, the pump(s) cannot keep it dry. I use a small pump with a sensitive switch and short hose that goes into the shower sump. You will have problems with the mast seal at the step. And possibly find the deck coring wet near the mast. Some owners did not keep the partners sealed. The base of the mast may be corroded if a previous owner left too much water in the bilge. Check it carefully. This is not a deal breaker but an expensive fix. It is much more difficult to unstep/step and reseal. This concerns me because I want to go through a couple of canals where I have to do that. Then there is the problem of length, a 50+ foot mast on a 37' boat. That is a lot of overhang. On the plus side I can lose a stay or shroud and not lose the mast.
water in the bilge. Water will find its way down the mast and into the bilge. You will always have a wet bilge, the pump(s) cannot keep it dry. I use a small pump with a sensitive switch and short hose that goes into the shower sump. You will have problems with the mast seal at the step. And possibly find the deck coring wet near the mast. Some owners did not keep the partners sealed. The base of the mast may be corroded if a previous owner left too much water in the bilge. Check it carefully. This is not a deal breaker but an expensive fix. It is much more difficult to unstep/step and reseal. This concerns me because I want to go through a couple of canals where I have to do that. Then there is the problem of length, a 50+ foot mast on a 37' boat. That is a lot of overhang. On the plus side I can lose a stay or shroud and not lose the mast.
MAYBE
not lose the mast. The bottom 6 feet or so of a 35ft + column is supported between the deck and keel, so there is still a lot of lever arm above the deck. Would probably depend on which wire lets go. If a lower shroud, you might be OK, but an upper or stay? If you do lose the mast, you stand a fair chance of tearing up the deck as well, as it is pryed up and out by the leverage of the mast going overboard.
not lose the mast. The bottom 6 feet or so of a 35ft + column is supported between the deck and keel, so there is still a lot of lever arm above the deck. Would probably depend on which wire lets go. If a lower shroud, you might be OK, but an upper or stay? If you do lose the mast, you stand a fair chance of tearing up the deck as well, as it is pryed up and out by the leverage of the mast going overboard.
In short...
Try to find a sailboat with a mast stepped or mounted to the top. They have improved the mounts over the years and once the shrouds and stays are in place you'll be good to go. Ed and Peter are dead-on with their views.
Try to find a sailboat with a mast stepped or mounted to the top. They have improved the mounts over the years and once the shrouds and stays are in place you'll be good to go. Ed and Peter are dead-on with their views.
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