Mast Support Bracket "Event"

[AEarnshaw]

Looking at purchasing a ‘99 Legend 340, and some sort of massive impact has really done a number on the port side “mast triangle bracket” (sorry don’t know the actual part name). Pics below.

You can see someone’s tried to straighten it a bit with pliers. I added a pic of the starboard side for contrast. There’s no visible damage (buckling, cracks, etc) to the aluminum mast which is odd given the forces that must have bent the steel bracket. I can’t tell if the mast has been twisted looking at it straight on, but see how its centre line is +1/2 inch out/twisted at the base.

You mission, should you choose…:
Likely source of impact? Uncontrolled jibe? Likely further damage? Ease of replacing the part? Ease of repair? (Looks simple but are the mounting bolts likely to be a problem?)

Last but not least… Including and independent of this issue… Buy the boat?!

We own a ‘91 30T which we love. This is a step up and otherwise in great shape, but I’m just not sure about the downwind sailing compromise…

Thxs in advance for any and all opinions.

 

[Terry Cox]

Good photos of the issue, but would defer to a marine rigging surveyor for a technical evaluation of the configuration to help you determine if the boat is worth your further consideration, or the possible cost to fix the problem to be used as a negotiating point on final purchase price. Difficult to tell what forces might have caused the deformation, whether an unexpected hard jibe, or something else. A strong wind shift resulting in a hard jibe, or the mast dipping into the water during a knock down can create severe forces. That appears to be a pretty strong bracket that would require considerable force to deform. Anything from the current owner?

 

[sailme88]

Pure speculation here, but the location and damage seen in the pics " to me" does not have the appearance of an underway incident. I'm more inclined to believe that this mast was in a storage rack somewhere when it sustained the damage, These are robust parts. Significant forces were present. Newton's 3rd law is in play here... sic [ equal and opposite reaction]....

Expand your inspection area. Quite possible that there is some yet unseen associated damage. A rigging specialist is the correct way to go.

 

[dlochner]

Looking at the photos I was struck by several anomalies. All of the hardware is different, there is a mix of clevis pins and bolts, one side has the nuts inside the mast the other side on the outside and with bolts of different lengths, and one bolt on the damaged side is not square to the fitting.

I would venture a guess that this repair was not completed by a professional who took pride in his work. Rather than taking time and getting the right parts, he used what ever was in the toolbox. There is no telling what damage is hidden by the fitting. I wonder if the bolts on the original fitting were just threaded into the mast and not through bolted. If that is the case, it seems likely the threads were ripped out on the damaged side.

Insight from a rigger who has experience with this type of rig would be helpful. Otherwise, there are more fish (boats) in the sea.

 

[kloudie1]

I agree that a rigger or someone who is familiar with that mast support structure should be consulted.. I also agree with sailme88 that the damage was most likely caused when the mast was being moved/removed/stored.. The fitting appears to have been bent by the strut and then ripped out of the mast as the strut was further pulled.. I'd be concerned that the attachment hardware might be a compromise .. There are rivit nuts that if installed correctly would be stronger than the original attachments but without removing the fitting, they'd be impossible to inspect.. I would also be concerned that the fitting might be hiding cracks in the mast that may have formed when the fitting was ripped off.. Not a show stopper but definitely should be carefully inspected for integrity.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

As a former Hunter dealer, I too agree with @kloudie1 @Terry Cox @dlochner as I too see issues that are concerning. Suggest strongly hiring an experienced marine rigger as suggested. Safety is important. Yes I did sell the 340 too

 

[rgranger]

What @dlochner said. And in addition to the repair being done with whatever was in the toolbox. The repair is also bent.

I would want that entire area repaired with new parts, before I took her out for a sail. Those type of through-bolts on a mast usually have compression sleeves (bushing) inside the mast that the bolt passes through. If the PO did the repair in a half- way the mast could buckle at that location. The compression-force from the torque from the nut on the bolt is transfered to the sleeve and does not contribute to pressure on the walls of the mast.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

@rgranger

Rob,
You saw what concerned me