We have just purchased a 1992Mac 26C. It is basically original with a few interior upgrades. The mast step bolt holes through the mast are worn and elongated. This is obviously design problem on these boats since I have seen a 1995 Mac 26C with a shoe that attaches to the base of the mast that eliminates the stress when the mast is stepped. How have others repaired this design flaw?
Mast Step stress on Macgregor 26 C
- Thread starter Dancing Loon
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pic pls
can you post a picture of the described problem? Sounds like the rotation when lifting the mast in place... -which makes little sense at thats not underload when sailing. I'm unable to understand what you are describing....
can you post a picture of the described problem? Sounds like the rotation when lifting the mast in place... -which makes little sense at thats not underload when sailing. I'm unable to understand what you are describing....
I have the same problem...
...Dancing Loon. The holes in the bottom of my mast were worn way too large when I bought the boat, but I have not done anything about it yet. Unless someone has a better idea, I plan to get some one to first weld some reinforcement plates inside the mast, then fill the holes with weld, and finally redrill the holes. Any simpler ideas would be welcome. -Paul
...Dancing Loon. The holes in the bottom of my mast were worn way too large when I bought the boat, but I have not done anything about it yet. Unless someone has a better idea, I plan to get some one to first weld some reinforcement plates inside the mast, then fill the holes with weld, and finally redrill the holes. Any simpler ideas would be welcome. -Paul
Pretty much looks like mine, DL.
Actually it doesn't really appear to hurt anything. Its not in any danger of tearing out. But it doesn't look good, and reworking it will probably give some support to keeping the mast straight when raising & lowering, so I'll get around to it sometime. -Paul
Actually it doesn't really appear to hurt anything. Its not in any danger of tearing out. But it doesn't look good, and reworking it will probably give some support to keeping the mast straight when raising & lowering, so I'll get around to it sometime. -Paul
Looks like loose rigging letting the mast base walk around
Dwyer mast makes a mast step for most common mast shapes, you could trim the bottom of the mast off and add the step and drill through that. Or you could weld a tube through the oversize hole, the wall thickness of the tubing and a little filler will fill the worn areas. Then get a loos guage and tighten the rigging.
Dwyer mast makes a mast step for most common mast shapes, you could trim the bottom of the mast off and add the step and drill through that. Or you could weld a tube through the oversize hole, the wall thickness of the tubing and a little filler will fill the worn areas. Then get a loos guage and tighten the rigging.
Early D model
I have an 87 D model. I do not have a slot in my tabernacle, rather I have a hole plain and simple. I always thought the slotted mast bases were for those who did not want to retension and adjust their standing rigging when trailering the boat, the slots allowing easier pinning of the forestay and reset of the standing rigging for those who adjust their sidestays and never touch the adjusters again. If tensioned properly, the upper and lower sidestays are probably going to make standing up the rig more difficult. I do not think that in any case the mast should touch the top of the cabin. The slot may be too long, allowing the mast to bind when it goes overcenter. And knowing the Macgregor boat building design frugality, I doubt that the slotted tabernacle is stock anyhow. If your mast butt binds on the deck below as you raise your mast, and if you combine that with a block and tackle to raise the mast, you have a recipe to create the kind of stress that deformed the pictured mast butts. A proper shoe and reciever plate casting, such as the ones on higher priced boats, will never be installed by Macgregor at the factory. The binding problems will be eliminated when the mast is supported away from the deck. Ask me how I know.....
I have an 87 D model. I do not have a slot in my tabernacle, rather I have a hole plain and simple. I always thought the slotted mast bases were for those who did not want to retension and adjust their standing rigging when trailering the boat, the slots allowing easier pinning of the forestay and reset of the standing rigging for those who adjust their sidestays and never touch the adjusters again. If tensioned properly, the upper and lower sidestays are probably going to make standing up the rig more difficult. I do not think that in any case the mast should touch the top of the cabin. The slot may be too long, allowing the mast to bind when it goes overcenter. And knowing the Macgregor boat building design frugality, I doubt that the slotted tabernacle is stock anyhow. If your mast butt binds on the deck below as you raise your mast, and if you combine that with a block and tackle to raise the mast, you have a recipe to create the kind of stress that deformed the pictured mast butts. A proper shoe and reciever plate casting, such as the ones on higher priced boats, will never be installed by Macgregor at the factory. The binding problems will be eliminated when the mast is supported away from the deck. Ask me how I know.....
Are you saying
oreana123, just want to see if I understand. When you say the mast should be supported away from the deck, are you saying there should be a space between the bottom of the mast and the deck, that all the support should be on the bolt?
oreana123, just want to see if I understand. When you say the mast should be supported away from the deck, are you saying there should be a space between the bottom of the mast and the deck, that all the support should be on the bolt?
That is correct
I definitely would want the mast to pivot on the bolt- mine shows no sign of elongation after many years. The only masts I have seen that touch anything are the ones with dedicated and expensive shoes and castings. In that setup there is a metal plate that receives the shoe as the mast is erected. The elongated and slotted mast tabernacles are aftermarket or dealer installed. I don't think that Macgregor would spring for anything but the cheapest and simplest, which, ironically are better than the tabernacles with a slot that allows the butt of the mast to contact the deck.
I definitely would want the mast to pivot on the bolt- mine shows no sign of elongation after many years. The only masts I have seen that touch anything are the ones with dedicated and expensive shoes and castings. In that setup there is a metal plate that receives the shoe as the mast is erected. The elongated and slotted mast tabernacles are aftermarket or dealer installed. I don't think that Macgregor would spring for anything but the cheapest and simplest, which, ironically are better than the tabernacles with a slot that allows the butt of the mast to contact the deck.
Slotted
I have one of the slotted rigs on my Mac25.... What is the drawback of the mast contacting the deck? I haven't had any issues and can raise and lower my mast with little difficulty.... Early on I made the mistake of putting the bolt through the upper hole above the slot which locks the mast in place when transporting....Needless to say the difference in height caused the shrouds to keep me from getting the mast upright.... If the mast sits on the deck, it rests just above the compression post in the cabin.
I have one of the slotted rigs on my Mac25.... What is the drawback of the mast contacting the deck? I haven't had any issues and can raise and lower my mast with little difficulty.... Early on I made the mistake of putting the bolt through the upper hole above the slot which locks the mast in place when transporting....Needless to say the difference in height caused the shrouds to keep me from getting the mast upright.... If the mast sits on the deck, it rests just above the compression post in the cabin.
slotted tabernacle
Mine on my '93 26c is slotted also, mast sits squarely on bottom of tabernacle when raised, not on bolt.
Mine on my '93 26c is slotted also, mast sits squarely on bottom of tabernacle when raised, not on bolt.
My 22-2 is 30 years old, has the slotted tabernacle,
and has nowhere near the wear on the base that that one has, do you have any history on the boat? Was it kept in a slip, or trailered a lot? Doug, could the wear on yours be caused by being bolted to the pulpit and road vibration? From the angle that it is wearing, I would be suspicious. I just fabricated a hanger for mine this weekend to take the place of the rope harness that has always been used, and now I am wondering. I think I will take my own advise and weld a tube in. I did notice when I first sailed the boat the mast would move around a lot, but since I replaced and tightened the rigging, it doesn't move at all. Tim
and has nowhere near the wear on the base that that one has, do you have any history on the boat? Was it kept in a slip, or trailered a lot? Doug, could the wear on yours be caused by being bolted to the pulpit and road vibration? From the angle that it is wearing, I would be suspicious. I just fabricated a hanger for mine this weekend to take the place of the rope harness that has always been used, and now I am wondering. I think I will take my own advise and weld a tube in. I did notice when I first sailed the boat the mast would move around a lot, but since I replaced and tightened the rigging, it doesn't move at all. Tim
Support at middle
Back in the early 80's we bought a new mac 25 from a dealer in Atlanta. A retired dentist as I remember, selling the boats out of his yard. We had to trailer the boat 450 miles home. He advised knotting a short 3/8 rope in the tabernacle slot, running it over the mast and back down and through the other slot in the tabernacle, pulling it tight to put a slight load or pressure on the mast, and tying a half hitch in the rope. The mast does not bounce around going down the road. It's the same idea as the wood support but in reverse and all you have to deal with is a short rope. I do this with our 26c. The mast stays put with no up and down motion. It does not deform or bend the mast in any way.
Back in the early 80's we bought a new mac 25 from a dealer in Atlanta. A retired dentist as I remember, selling the boats out of his yard. We had to trailer the boat 450 miles home. He advised knotting a short 3/8 rope in the tabernacle slot, running it over the mast and back down and through the other slot in the tabernacle, pulling it tight to put a slight load or pressure on the mast, and tying a half hitch in the rope. The mast does not bounce around going down the road. It's the same idea as the wood support but in reverse and all you have to deal with is a short rope. I do this with our 26c. The mast stays put with no up and down motion. It does not deform or bend the mast in any way.
Dancing Loon is an international sailor
Dancing Loon has had 2 previous owners that we know of in the Colorado, Nebraska area. One of them has taken her to the Sea of Cortez. So we know she has had some rolling knots under her keel. The most recent owner left her in a marina slip for 10 yrs and used her as a weekend cottage. After reading the conversation here I think there are 2 sources for the stress on the bolt holes, and one contributes to the other. When I first stepped the mast the rigging was sloppy which confirmed the previous owner did not sail her that much if at all.We just trailered the boat home to Manitoba (1200 miles) from Nebraska. Throughout the trip I wondered about that bouncing mast with no support in the middle. I have since tracked down another Mac 26C locally and noticed the center support and a SS shoe attached to the base of the mast. When I track down the owner I will let you know if it is factory or after market. As a new Mac owner I really appreciate the conversation here and all of the ideas you have given me. Thanks
Dancing Loon has had 2 previous owners that we know of in the Colorado, Nebraska area. One of them has taken her to the Sea of Cortez. So we know she has had some rolling knots under her keel. The most recent owner left her in a marina slip for 10 yrs and used her as a weekend cottage. After reading the conversation here I think there are 2 sources for the stress on the bolt holes, and one contributes to the other. When I first stepped the mast the rigging was sloppy which confirmed the previous owner did not sail her that much if at all.We just trailered the boat home to Manitoba (1200 miles) from Nebraska. Throughout the trip I wondered about that bouncing mast with no support in the middle. I have since tracked down another Mac 26C locally and noticed the center support and a SS shoe attached to the base of the mast. When I track down the owner I will let you know if it is factory or after market. As a new Mac owner I really appreciate the conversation here and all of the ideas you have given me. Thanks
Mac tabernacles
I guess this blog has gone far enough, but one last word and I'm out. I've got an original owners manual that someone marked models '90 through '95. The manual's drawings show the slotted tabernacle but the explicit instructions on raising the mast show photos of a hinged stainless mast butt the rear of which is bolted into a nonslotted hole in the rear of the tabernacle. Another hole is in front for the mast raising pole. It all looks OEM to me. Mine is a '93 with the slotted tabernacle. Never seen a '94 or '95 but the hinged kind must have gone on some of them.
I guess this blog has gone far enough, but one last word and I'm out. I've got an original owners manual that someone marked models '90 through '95. The manual's drawings show the slotted tabernacle but the explicit instructions on raising the mast show photos of a hinged stainless mast butt the rear of which is bolted into a nonslotted hole in the rear of the tabernacle. Another hole is in front for the mast raising pole. It all looks OEM to me. Mine is a '93 with the slotted tabernacle. Never seen a '94 or '95 but the hinged kind must have gone on some of them.
looks like
I think that's the same one I got from Blue Water Yachts. see www.bwyachts.com You can call toll free to order. Hinged mast step
I think that's the same one I got from Blue Water Yachts. see www.bwyachts.com You can call toll free to order. Hinged mast step
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