Mystery Mast Step

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Steve

While talking with Hunter's Mike Thomas about a leak in my Mast step, we noticed that my Z-Spar step was not the one expected by the factory for my boat. It is a one piece stainless step with built in pins and keel line roller. It is connected with four small bolts. Does anyone else have a step llike this? (see pic)
 

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Crazy Dave Condon

depends on the year

Z spar use to provide the masts for the boats; however, they did a major boo boo and left the country. I do not have the time to talk about that but the masts were supplied by Dwyer or Charleston Spar. Now they are supplied by US Spars(actually Z-spar extrusions). You need to supply the hull number so Hunter can go back and look in the file to see which mast and then you can go from there. It is either Dwyer or Charleston Spar.
 
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Marc_B

What year 240?

What year is your 240? Mine is a 2000, with a Dwyer mast, and my step looks something like yours, although I can't quite tell from the photos. Marc_B
 
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Steve

Year Model/ Hunter sent me another step but...

My 240 is a 98 hull number 142. Marc...Does your step have only one piece of stainless attached to the boat with 4 screws? Does it have both a pin for the mast and another pin forward for the mast raising pole? Hunter was concerned enough to send me another step for the Z-spar. It is a two piece step with only one pin like on the 23.5's I've seen. This thicker step will force me to re tap everything and adjust the rigging from scratch but it does look more heavy duty. I was just wondering if anyone else had one like my original step.
 
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Sean Coerse

Mast Step

I've also got a 98 H240. The step is one piece and appears identical to yours. I was not aware there were differents steps made.
 
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Steve

Sean, do you have a z-spar with this step?

the factory seemed to question that this was the correct step for a z-spar not the year model. I'm ready to just reinstall the one I had. Does anyone here think there is anything wrong with my original setup with a z-spar?
 
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crazy dave

do me a favor

Please call Al Fooks at Hunter Marine with your hull number so the file can be pulled and they can tell you the spar mfg. that was used on your boat. Until then, you will get all type of answers. You probably have a Dwyer mast I think.
 
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Steve

crazy help

crazy dave, from what I have read here, I trust you MORE than the factory for my boat. I will call Al. Can I ask him for your email. I will always respect your anonymity here. I'm posting another pic that I sent Mike T. After compression to post here you can't read my hull number. Note the extra drill marks on the hull that the factory almost drilled in the wrong place. If the label says zspars is it a duck? Thanks so much, ss
 

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Sean Coerse

Mast

Steve I'm going to the boat today. I'll check to verify but I'm pretty sure I've got a Zspar mast. I'll let you know tonight.
 
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Sean Coerse

Mast

Steve I cant seem to find the manufactures name on my mast. Perhaps Crazy Dave could step in since he was my dealer. My step is identical to yours. Please post what the final fix is. Sean Coerse 98 H240 "Right Coerse"
 
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Crazy Dave

Call Hunter/Al Fooks or Spooky

Call and get my email from Spooky. Thank you for keeping quiet on my whereabouts. I have left a message for spooky to get back with me so I can straighten this mess out for you.
 
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Crazy Dave

update

jThe owner of this boat is the second owner and of course I believe the boat is out of warranty. The dealer who orginally sold the boat is gone too I think. We are not sure what went on;however, Hunter Marine has sent the owner new part without any charge to him with instructions even though the mast is out of warranty. I got to give it to Hunter for sending parts without any charge. Hunter gets the adda boy award today from me.
 
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Steve

Hunter's been Great! but is this step for me?

Yes, I'm the second owner. The boat is WAY out of warranty. The dealer is gone. I only called Hunter about leak/replacement screws for my step and Hunter went WELL beyond the call of duty and sent me another step at no charge. I have only praise for the factory but I'm still not sure the free step is the one that I should use. My original step had a pin for the mast raising pole. Mike said that a zspar mast should have a pin built in but mine does not. (see earler pic) It does have a zspar label. The two pin step is pictured in the manual that came with the boat too. I know the original owner and he said this is original. There are no other holes in the boat from another step installation.(see pic) I'm sure this is the step that came on this boat from Hunter. It is probably the one I should use. I just wanted someone with more H240 experience to help verify this. I didn't mention here about the factory sending free stuff because I didn't want Mike to get swamped with calls for free stuff. If I do not use the free step I will send it back with many thanks to Mike. Thanks to all that have helped here. Dave, I'll call spooky (Wed), sort this out and get your email. Sean, I think the step that you have is correct but the saga is to be continued. I'll let you know.
 
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Crazy Dave

Steve and Sean

Sean, would you please give steve my email so I can ask steve to personally email me better pictures. Sean, please email me a picture of your mast base too if you would be kind to do so. Then I can figure what is going on. I am not sure what is going on and pictures from both will tell me how to help steve and advise you. Again I will ask that you folks do not tell who or where I am.
 
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Steve

Email/Pics

Dave, Sean does not have my direct email. I just emailed Al and Mike to get yours. Until then, there are two sets of pics posted here...one in the original message showing the step close-up. and one in the message named "Crazy Help" showing the zspar and the boat. I'm not sure what other pics would be helpful but I'll take more after work and send them direct when I get your address. Thanks again!
 
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Sean Coerse

Dave

I just finished rebedding stanchions the other day. I wont be able to get back to my boat until this weekend due to work. I'll shoot photos then and email to you.
 
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Crazy Dave

I think I may know what happenned

When Z spar screwed up which I will not get into, it left Hunter, Beneteau, and others in a mess for masts. At one point,Hunter was scrambling to get masts for the 240 and the other boats. Others used were from Dwyer and Charleston Spar. Z Spar which is now sold under the name of US Spars but a different company altogether from Z Spar. On Z spar and US spar, there is a reinforced area on the front bottom portion of the mast which the mast raise pole is inserted to. I had a 240 come thru that during the times of the mess by Z spar, there was no hole in the base of the mast. The Dwyer masts had a small welded bracket attached to the mast for the mast raise pole. Charleston Spar masts were different as for attachement of the mast raise poles; therefore, a seperate stainless steel plate was made by Hunter which is the subject of this matter whereby the pole has a pin that goes thru the bottom of it at the front of the base. What happenned to me and what I think may have happenned here is the following. I had a Z spar mast with no hole in it during the mess time of masts; therefore, Hunter put that stainless steel bracket on in order to use a mast raisng pole. Ok, Steve and Sean, email me please and that should resolve the mystery issue here.
 
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Steve

Frankenstep

Just got off the phone with Mike T. after he talked to US Spars and Crazy is correct. (as C. Dave usually is) My mast was probably pieced together from an incomplete zspar extrusion and an incomplete Charleston step during the turmoil of the zspars screw-up. The mast should have come from zspar with a hole for the mast-raising pole. Since mine did not have this hole, someone at the factory must have used the wrong two-pin step instead of installing the mast-raising pole correctly. Mike said that the stainless step plate that is on my boat should still have a second plate to be complete.(Sean take note of this) He has come to my rescue yet again by offering to send the hardware and hole cutter to update my extrusion as it should have been. I can then use the correct zspars step he sent earlier. There is factory concern that my mast may not be safe as is. Dave, I'll send you my email address. Sean, please get my address from Dave and forward the pics of you step. I want to make sure that you are not in the same situation. Be sure to take a pic of the front of your mast extrusion as well as close-ups of the step. I'm missing the spring sailing season but, so far, this has not cost me one dime. Not even shipping. Hats off to Hunter.
 
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