Mast question

[lakebum1716]

OK, here's the part that will frustrate everyone: I can't say exactly what model of Daysailer I have. I bought it at a thrift store, where it had been donated by the second (at least) owner. No one can agree whether it's a Daysailer 1 or 2; they can't even agree what decade it was built. The sails aren't original, and there is no hull identification number. (And that's not just me talking; when I tried to register the boat, the people at the courthouse told me I didn't know what I was talking about. They sent the Marine Police to inspect the boat, and at the end of the inspection I was assigned a new Hull ID number because, to quote the inspector, "You were right; there is not a Hull ID number on this boat. There might have been one once, but it's not there anymore.")

So, we don't know exactly what we're dealing with, though assuming it's a Daysailer 1 works most of the time.

At long last, I arrive at the question: what is supposed to be at the bottom of the mast? There is a slot, and in the bottom of my mast is a piece of wood that has been whittled so that it will fit in the slot. But it is on its last legs, so I ordered the Mast Step Casting from DR Marine. It arrived today, and while it looks like the mast will sit on it... then what? The bottom is flat, so there's nothing that will fit in a slot. There are also no holes, so it can't be screwed to anything, and in my boat there is nothing to screw it to anyway.

Pictures are coming, but I'm hoping someone can answer the question (or at least figure out what I'm trying to say!) before I'm able to post the pics.

 

[jeadstx]

If you have wood floors and coamings, with an open cuddy cabin, it is probably a Day Sailer 1. The Day Sailer II has a double hull with fiberglass floor in the cockpit and hatch opening for the cuddy cabin.

For all things concerning the Day Sailer, go to the Day Sailer Association forum at http://www.daysailer.org/ . Most of your questions can be answered there concerning the Day Sailer I, II, and III.

John

 

[lakebum1716]

If you have wood floors and coamings, with an open cuddy cabin, it is probably a Day Sailer 1. The Day Sailer II has a double hull with fiberglass floor in the cockpit and hatch opening for the cuddy cabin.


John

It has a fiberglass floor, and an open cuddy cabin. (See what I mean? :cry

 

[emergpa1]

It has a fiberglass floor, and an open cuddy cabin. (See what I mean? :cry

pictures are more than helpful for something like this.

 

[Sunbird22358]

DS I was had an open cuddy, no inner liner so the bottom of the cockpit is the inside of the bottom of the boat, originally they all had floorboards to provide a "floor" in hte cockpit, but most racers (and more than a few daysailing owners) removed and probably lost the floorboards. The Centerboard is controlled by a lever. DS I was built by O'DAY from 1959 to 1971 as the only DS model, from 1971 to about 1976, O'DAY built both the DS I and DS II. After that DS I production was by several builders contrated by the DSA.

The DS II has the cockpit molded as part of the deck, the cuddy has an open aft end, but it can be closed off with a pair of plywood panels or on the early boats, a vinyl-coated canvas cover. The Centerboard is controlled by a pair of lines, one pulls CB up, hte other pulls it down.

No real need to decribe the DS III or DS IV, since you mention that the boat doesn't have the 12-digit Hull ID Number, required since November 1972 (1973 and later models).

On both the DS I and DS II the mast (until 1980 model) was stepped thru the top of the cuddy and onto a step inside the boat. (1980 and later boats had a hinged mast stepped on the top of the cuddy with a support between underside of the cuddy top and the cuddy "floor".
On hte DS I the mast step was located on a fiberglass "box-beam" that more of less connected the cb trunk to the forward flotation tank. This beam is about 3" square and glassed to the inside of the hull. Some DS Is had a "mast-jack" instead of a mast step casting. The mast jack was a bronze threaded pin with a bronze knob/nut on it, the mast had a hole in the foot (botom of mast) that fit over the vertical pin on hte mast jack, the nut was used to adjust the mast up and down vertically to tighten/lossen the rig since those boats did not have turnbuckles on the shrouds.

The DS II had a mast step casting that was screwed to the decking (floor) of the cuddy.
Both the DS I and DS II had the option of a tabernacle or mast-hinge that was spliced into the mast just above the cuddy top. In both cases the portion of the mast below that hinge was the same as for the one-piece masts.

I'll include pics of the DS I and DS II as well as how the mast step was located on both. I also posted a pic of a mast jack (hope it doesn't add confusion?) and the mast step casting, the holes need to be drilled through those 2 "dimples".