Hi all, very new to sailing, but not so new to projects. Recently purchased a 78 DSII. Today for the first time I decided to install the mast, but I ran into two very big problems.
The first, and most tiring, is that at some point the PO must have done some sort of repair work to the hole the mast slides down, as there was some very sloppy epoxy work that prevented the mast from going through. LOTS of sanding later I was finally able to get the mast in, but unfortunately the metal piece that the mast slides over at the bottom is really loose and just kind of swivels around. There's a bolt in the center of it, and it's completely stripped.
So, wondering if anyone has ever encountered this before, and if there's a prescribed method of fixing it? I can't really move that piece to another spot and drill a new hole, and I feel like if I tapped a bigger hole where it is now there wouldn't be much grip and it would loosen under a stiff breeze.
Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
The first, and most tiring, is that at some point the PO must have done some sort of repair work to the hole the mast slides down, as there was some very sloppy epoxy work that prevented the mast from going through. LOTS of sanding later I was finally able to get the mast in, but unfortunately the metal piece that the mast slides over at the bottom is really loose and just kind of swivels around. There's a bolt in the center of it, and it's completely stripped.
So, wondering if anyone has ever encountered this before, and if there's a prescribed method of fixing it? I can't really move that piece to another spot and drill a new hole, and I feel like if I tapped a bigger hole where it is now there wouldn't be much grip and it would loosen under a stiff breeze.
Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
