Mast removal 1977 H30

[riverbouy]

I'm preparing to replacement my standing rigging on my 1977 H30 and will do most of the work myself, though the boat yard will use a crane to pull the mast. I will disconnect the rigging and mast. While checking things to make a plan I haven't been able to identify how the mast is connected to the boat. There are no visible bolts in the mast and it appears to sit directly on the deck. I thought it came through the deck but have discovered that there appears to be a thick piece of wood as the mast step which sits directly on an aluminum block mounted on the mast.

I just want to ensure that when I get the boat to the yard I know exactly what to do.

 

[John T1594]

I had a 1980 H30 some years ago. If I recall, the hollow aluminum mast extrusion sits/slips onto on an aluminum base block which is itself bolted or screwed into the deck. The deck itself is raised and reinforced in that area with wood under the fiberglass. I would suggest spraying some WD-40 or PB Blaster around the mast base to try to loosen the joint between the mast and the aluminim mast base block before pulling the mast.