Mast Compression Post Rot

[Barn-dog]

Seems like a hugely common problem on the 84-87 vintage Hunters.
The compression post on my 1985 H-31 died of rot about two years ago. Apparently there was water intrusion through the opening in the cabintop for the various wires in the mast.
LSS, I temporarily used 2x4 braces from the stringer on the cabin sole to the overhead stringer..... on both sides of the compression post (did not need to remove the mast). Tapped them in with a rubber hammer to ensure that the cabintop stringer was pushed up as far as it wished to go. I then installed a new oak compression post (trimmed to the exact necessary vertical height and with a channel for the wiring from the mast routed down the appropriate side), screwed top and bottom into the upper and lower stringers. I then removed the 2x4 braces from either side and completed the installation with new teak wrap-trim that I had made by a local custom woodworker.
The next time that the boat was in the yard for service, I had the mast removed and the opening in the csbintop sealed properly.
Everything works great.

Thanks, Dave. Well, after much difficulty, I found a mill that gave me a quote for a wood post. They said it would be too difficult to find Spruce, and recommended White Oak. They would glue two oak 2x4's together to produce a solid 4x4
( not 3-1/2x3-1/2), and it would be 72" in length, which I would trim to fit. They want $279.00 to do that. Seems very high,
but there aren't many lumber places that handle hardwoods. On the other hand, the adjustable steel post, sells for $47.00
at Home Depot, and it has 4"steel plates at both ends; will carry 12,000lbs. The plates have holes that would allow me to fasten the post with screws at the top and bottom of the post. Prior to installation, I would coat the plates with Barrier Coating, used to prime iron hull keels, to protect from corrosion. Then, wrap the post in the teak strips that had covered the rotted post.
Common sense tells me to go with the adjustable steel post, but I still worry that it may not work well. It was not designed for
the marine environment.

 

[lnikl]

Check out the post by the owner of "Heart of Gold". That is the best compression post fix I have seen. It is not far off from your thinking. Ian did a superb job on it.

 

[Barn-dog]

After reading about this, I decided to remove the teak wrap around the wood post on my 1987
Hunter 34. The teak strips had to be pried-out, due to apparent sagging of the overhead cross-beam. Now that I have to replace the post, is there any reason why I can't use an adjustable steel-beam support post, like those sold at Home Depot ? They are less than 3-1/2 " in dia. and have steel plates on the top and bottom. Does anyone know the exact length of the Compression Post on these boats ? I wrote to Marlow-Hunter, LLC, but never received a reply. I guess they don't want to waste their time on someone who doesn't have a new boat ? Thanks

 

[Barn-dog]

Thanks again for your comments. They helped me to decide on getting a wood post to replace my current, slightly rotted post. The current one appears to be two, 1-1/2X2-1/2 cheap, pine boards. I had two, 2x4 (actual) White Oak boards made at a
mill in Quarryville, PA (Groff and Groff) . They did an excellent job. I will glue them together with 5200 and install the new
post after Jacking the cross-beam, once my marina pulls the mast. I also have a 1/4" thick, 4"x12" steel plate that I will attach
to the top of the post, directly under the beam and mast, to provide additional support. It looks as though the beam has not suffered any rot. I'll also apply some epoxy to the bottom of the new Compression Post. Water has been coming right down
through the wire tube; saturating the old C. Post, and damaging the nice, wood cabin floor, around the old post.
I'm going to completely re-route those wires, away from the post area. I may need to drill a hole in the mast, so as to bring the wires out of the mast, just above the top deck, and then drill a hole through the deck, and run the wires down into the cabin that way. I just need to find some conduit to contain the wires for the short distance on top of the deck. This will be done in early March. I'll take some pic's and get back to you all, as work proceeds.

 

[kloudie1]

sounds like a good plan, BD.. Carry On !

 

[Don Crowther]

If it was me I don't think I would drill another hole in the deck to run the wires. Once you have the mast down I would look at improving the existing route the wires take.
If you do want to drill a new hole maybe look at water proof connectors for the wires.

 

[jibes138]

Barn Dog - I'd use epoxy thickened with microfibers to glue the boards together. Get a bunch of c-clamps or bar clamps to clamp it all together while the epoxy cures. Also a belt sander to clean it all up afterward. I made a mast for a sailing dinghy this way and after 16 years it is still holding together well. I also made a tiller of laminated strips of wood glued in a jig using West Epoxy. I used a block plane to make my mast round while leaving the base square where it fits through the deck. This is pretty easy to do. I used West System epoxy for my mast. Alternate the grains on the wood for added strength, in other words see how the grain direction goes and put each board so the grains go in opposite directions. Good luck.