Need picture of 40.5 Z-Spar mast base plate

[Rich Stidger]

Do any of you h40.5 owners have a photo of the mast base plate that sits on the cabin top? It will show the plate with drain hole and hole into the cabin for the mast wiring. Also if you have a photo of the inside of the cabin that shows how far the PVC wire tube extends into the cabin please share.

Do you know the thickness of the deck?

I have a leak that appears to drip off of the wires when I spray the bottom of the mast with a hose. This doesn't make sense to me if the PVC wire tube sits proud of the cabin top inside of the mast step. Nor is it obvious how water sprayed at the outside of the mast at the bottom could get inside to drip out of the wires. All of this was disturbed last year when I pulled the mast. I wasn't present when the mast was re-stepped so I am not sure of the PVC tube position. I do know from a picture I took that the PVC tube is 1.5" in diameter and 2.75" long. The tube was installed with 1" under the deck. Depending upon the thickness if the deck I think the topof the PVC tube should be at least 1" above the deck inside of the mast step. This is what I am trying to confirm.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Hey Rich
no pictures but the lumber holes for the tabernacle are fore, aft, port and starboard 2mm square holes in the tabernacle. The tabernacle forms 3 sides (top and sides) and the deck forms the 4th (bottom). I would think that unsteping the mast and resteping it would have resulted in "some" cleaning of the tabernacle but your mileage may vary. I found lots of dead bird parts and nesting material (4-5") on the tabernacle when we did ours a few years ago. Apparently the hole in the forward part of the mast for an add on baby stay is the perfect place for birds to roost and nest. I covered mine with silver duct tape (amazing stuff duct tape).
As for the PVC tube standing proud in the tabernacle, well mine was flush and when I pulled it to install a longer one I noticed that it was not sealed in the hole!!!
Use thin wire to clean out the lumber holes. If memory serves the deck is over an inch think so your 1" below and 1-3/4" from the bottom of the deck should leave 3/4'ish of "proudness". Course if it is full of crap that may or may not be sufficient.
If you have a helper hose the mast base while you look at the tube from the bottom side you may find it leaking around the outside of the tube and not actually down the inside. FWIW
Good luck

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi Rich, our cabin deck is about one and a quarter inch thick at the step. In 2002 our boat was leaking rain water around the plastic conduit seal that had failed. PO had tried to fix it from the inside using Silicon II. What a mess.

When I did the repair that stopped the leak then, our conduit was about on inch ID. I made it long enough to extend up above the coach roof about two inches and was flush with the coach roof inside. The step plate has a weep hole that needs to be cleared seasonally to allow rain water to seep out. I also made sure there was a good drip loop in the mast wires before they entered the conduit. It has been dry ever since I did the repair.

I'm guessing here, but two possibilities; failed conduit seal or no drip loop in the wires. It sounds as though, based on your description, that it is leaking because of no drip loop

http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/mods.php?task=article&mid=45&aid=8269&mn=42

 

[Rich Stidger]

Ok, here is the answer to my leak. (I hope)
I believe that I have found the cause of the leak at my mast step. All of the wires pass thru a 1.5” PVC tube and are supposed to be caulked into that tube. The tube is then caulked into the hole under the step.

I was seeing water drip off of the wires but no water was observed around the outside of the tube. So the water was running down the wires inside of the PVC tube.

Last Spring I replaced the grounding wire that connects the mast step on the deck with the top of the compression post plate inside. I disturbed the wiring in the PVC tube and apparently my re-caulk job was not water-tight.

After removing the PVC tube from the bottom, I discovered that the tube was just 2 1/4 “ long. It was positioned 1” below the deck and the deck is 1 1/8” thick. So the PVC tube was just 1/8’ proud of the deck under the mast step. I had originally thought that the PVC tube was 4” long, but I mis-remembered.

I also discovered that there are some holes near the bottom of the mast through which I can see light from the main salon. That explains why when I sprayed the bottom of the mast with a hose some water got in and found its way to the top of the PVC tube and then down into the cabin.

So I have cleaned most of the old caulking out of the PVC tube, off all of the wires, and from around the hole for the tube. I am ready to re-caulk.

I purchased a 3 oz. tube of the BoatLife Liquid caulk. I plan to dam the bottom of the PVC tube with plumber’s putty and pour the Liquid caulk into the top and work the wires around until the liquid fills all of the spaces between the wires. The instructions claim it takes 3 days for a complete set. The final step was to re-install the PVC tube. In an effort to get some caulk around the top of the tube inside the mast step, I was going to try the following:

Push the PVC tube up entirely into the mast. Using a long stick, wipe some caulk around the outside of the PVC tube. Pull the PVC tube (by the wires) back down into the hole until the bottom of the tube is 1/4" beneath the underside of the deck. That should position the PVC tube about 7/8” proud of the deck inside the mast step and give me a grip on the tube should I ever need to remove it.

I have cleaned out one of the weep holes at the bottom of the step, and I was told that there are 3 more weep holes that I haven’t found. I will look closely to see if I have them and confirm that they are clean. They will allow any water that tries to accumulate inside the mast drain out.

Below are pictures of the underside.