Does anyone have experience with repairs to the compression post support beam and mast step on a H30T 88-94? My 1992 suffered from rotten coach roof core around the mast due to improper sealing of the wiring penetration, which led to collapse in this area and ponding around the mast step. The PO had this repaired from the inside by installing a solid glass & polyester pad between the mast base and compression post. It was the same thickness as the core but only covered the same area as the mast base. This patch has separated from coach roof's inner fiberglass skin. The coach roof no longer provides any vertical support for the mast. To make matters worse, the fiberglass support beam under the compression post (this is flush with the cabin sole and curved toward the bow) has been pushed down by about an inch and its sides have mushroomed out slightly. This is likely due to excessive tightening of the rig sometime in the past, and is perhaps aggravated by the fact that the coach roof is no longer bearing any of the weight of the mast. The beam did not spring back up at all when rig tension was completely relaxed. It turns out that we have been sailing with the rig slightly loosened since we bought the boat. I have ballpark proposals from several reputable yards which are alarmingly expensive. They all involve removing and rebuilding a large section of the coach roof around the mast step. Before I embark on this I want to make certain that the outcome will be successful and return those areas to their original condition, strength, and appearance. Does anyone out there have experience with repairs of this scope? How did it turn out? How has it held up? Thanks, Paul
Mast Step and Compression Post Support Failure
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Here is an old post fix. . . .
from the archives( Related Link ). Not sure how similar it is to your problem but maybe it will give you some ideas. Other archive searches may be worthwhile. Over the years a lot has been written here on HOW about your problem. One advantage I guess of my keel-stepped mast.
from the archives( Related Link ). Not sure how similar it is to your problem but maybe it will give you some ideas. Other archive searches may be worthwhile. Over the years a lot has been written here on HOW about your problem. One advantage I guess of my keel-stepped mast.
Wha about?
You didn't mention the size of your hunter. But I have a similar problem brewing on my H-27. I'm assuming that you Hunter like mine has a deck stepped mast. Most of the Hunters have a wood support post in the cabin (1 or 2 2x4's) covered with teak panels to look nice. The mast fits into a shoe that bolts onto the deck and through the headliner with 4 stainless bolts. (The factory only intalled 3 on mine) It doesn't do much but keep the mast foot from slipping sideways. Because of the geometery there isn't all that much latteral fource at the base of the mast. Anyway water has been leaking for the past 20+ years down the cable plugs in the deck. The real problem is that the mast sits on a little bump up in the deck and the bump up appears to have blocks of balsa coring under it. Balsa and water DON't mix so I've began to notice a little deflection around the mast base. Last year I did a temporary fix. With the mast down I got a 5/16" aluminum plate (marine grade) and cut it to the shape of the bump up. I used a slurry of epoxy and glass fibers to fill the small deflection and glued the plate to the deck over the mast pad(bump up). I then drilled out the 4 holes and remounted the mast shoe. I cleaned out the base through the cable plugs for the electric alongside the mast and filled it with epoxy. Re drilled the holes for the electric lines. Put the mast up and there was no additional deflection last year. If I see any additional deflection around the mast this year after the mast is down for the year I'll remove the post for the inside, cut a neat square out of the headliner around the mast compression support and fill it with a solid fiberglass block exosied to the underside and possible screwed to the transverse support that is supposed to be under the mast between the headline and the underside of the deck. Glue the headliner section back and dress the cut lines with a little teak trim or something. My experience is that you really don't know what the factory did when they put the hull and deck together so you have to guess and be a little creative. Hope this helps.... Howard
You didn't mention the size of your hunter. But I have a similar problem brewing on my H-27. I'm assuming that you Hunter like mine has a deck stepped mast. Most of the Hunters have a wood support post in the cabin (1 or 2 2x4's) covered with teak panels to look nice. The mast fits into a shoe that bolts onto the deck and through the headliner with 4 stainless bolts. (The factory only intalled 3 on mine) It doesn't do much but keep the mast foot from slipping sideways. Because of the geometery there isn't all that much latteral fource at the base of the mast. Anyway water has been leaking for the past 20+ years down the cable plugs in the deck. The real problem is that the mast sits on a little bump up in the deck and the bump up appears to have blocks of balsa coring under it. Balsa and water DON't mix so I've began to notice a little deflection around the mast base. Last year I did a temporary fix. With the mast down I got a 5/16" aluminum plate (marine grade) and cut it to the shape of the bump up. I used a slurry of epoxy and glass fibers to fill the small deflection and glued the plate to the deck over the mast pad(bump up). I then drilled out the 4 holes and remounted the mast shoe. I cleaned out the base through the cable plugs for the electric alongside the mast and filled it with epoxy. Re drilled the holes for the electric lines. Put the mast up and there was no additional deflection last year. If I see any additional deflection around the mast this year after the mast is down for the year I'll remove the post for the inside, cut a neat square out of the headliner around the mast compression support and fill it with a solid fiberglass block exosied to the underside and possible screwed to the transverse support that is supposed to be under the mast between the headline and the underside of the deck. Glue the headliner section back and dress the cut lines with a little teak trim or something. My experience is that you really don't know what the factory did when they put the hull and deck together so you have to guess and be a little creative. Hope this helps.... Howard
Thanks Howard
I appreciate your response and will be curious to know how your repair plans work out. Beware though, the support under your compression post needs to be rock solid for this repair to last. I see some similarities between your problem amd mine, especially the rotten core and deck deflection. My boat is a 1992 Hunter 30. There are differences between it and the 27, although Hunter's construction techniques and choice of materials remain roughly the same. The repair you plan to make to the deck sounds a whole lot like the previous repair that has failed on mine. I think it would have been successful if the support for the compression post had been sound. This support was subject to some flexing, which was transmitted to the deck and caused the patch on the underside of the deck to break away. It might have held despite the flexing if done properly, i.e., feathered into the original fiberglass over a large area. However, it only covered an area the size of the mast base. The most thoughtful repair scenario presented so far involves replacing a large area of deck around the mast, including both the inner and outer glass layers and the core, and glassing a new support beam into the hull to carry the compression post. It is a major job to say the least, but should result in like new strength and finish. Best regards, Paul
I appreciate your response and will be curious to know how your repair plans work out. Beware though, the support under your compression post needs to be rock solid for this repair to last. I see some similarities between your problem amd mine, especially the rotten core and deck deflection. My boat is a 1992 Hunter 30. There are differences between it and the 27, although Hunter's construction techniques and choice of materials remain roughly the same. The repair you plan to make to the deck sounds a whole lot like the previous repair that has failed on mine. I think it would have been successful if the support for the compression post had been sound. This support was subject to some flexing, which was transmitted to the deck and caused the patch on the underside of the deck to break away. It might have held despite the flexing if done properly, i.e., feathered into the original fiberglass over a large area. However, it only covered an area the size of the mast base. The most thoughtful repair scenario presented so far involves replacing a large area of deck around the mast, including both the inner and outer glass layers and the core, and glassing a new support beam into the hull to carry the compression post. It is a major job to say the least, but should result in like new strength and finish. Best regards, Paul
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