Has anyone replaced their mast foot and base on a Z Spar mast with 6 sheeves in the mast foot (I only need 3 sheeves). The mast foot which is a Z Spar part # Z260SF-10/2P. The hinge pin part of mine is broken and the replacement part is no longer available. If you have replaced yours, what did you use? RigRite and D&R marine do not have the part.
O'Day 27le with a Z Spar mast
- Thread starter StanleyJ
- Start date
Is there is such a thing as a Z260 mast? Never heard of it. Do you mean Z265?? My first 260 uses that as well and US-spars has all the parts.
Yes, the Z260SF-10/2P is the right part number. It came from RigRite's website and I also talked to them. They cannot get the part from Z Spars in France. My mast foot and base do not match the ones that you attached. My mast has internal halyards with 6 sheeves in the mast foot.
Gotcha. Those old mast bases with the integrated rollers were generally despised and quickly phased out. Early Beneteau 235s used them with the Z190 mast, and when they switched to the more modern design with loose blocks on the tabernacle, people who broke the old base had to use the new one, with a 1.5 inch shim under the mast to make up the lost heigh of the old mast base. If one of the existing masts has the same section (Z265?) you could do the same thing.
I have been following this for a bit. I have experience replacing the mast step on a smaller O'day 192 with Z-spars mast. It, too, had the foot casting with integrated sheaves for internal halyard routing. A replacement kit was sourced from Rig-Rite, and it did not have the original casting. As Jackdaw explains, it seems this integrated sheave casting wasn't very good. The replacement kit did include a tall plastic block to shim the height of the old casting. We also had to order stand-up blocks mounted with nutted studs that go into the deck plate, which sits on top of the spacer block. Side exits ports had to be cut into the mast to allow internal halyards to exit, and Rig-rite had your choice of plastic or alloy exit trim plates for these holes.
The original base was broken when my friend brain-farted and tried to step the mast without all shrouds connected, so it went right over sideways and broke the pivot pieces. Apparently when unstepping the mast this fall, he was unstable on the lowering, and broke the pivot pieces AGAIN. So, no matter what you do, be REALLY REALLY careful on hoists and drops with these cast step pieces. Given what I've heard of stepping masts on these bigger O'days, I don't think I'd attempt it without a well-designed set of baby stays and A-frame or gin pole.
The original base was broken when my friend brain-farted and tried to step the mast without all shrouds connected, so it went right over sideways and broke the pivot pieces. Apparently when unstepping the mast this fall, he was unstable on the lowering, and broke the pivot pieces AGAIN. So, no matter what you do, be REALLY REALLY careful on hoists and drops with these cast step pieces. Given what I've heard of stepping masts on these bigger O'days, I don't think I'd attempt it without a well-designed set of baby stays and A-frame or gin pole.
I have been conversing with USSpars and it appears that the System 265 base upgrade kit will fit my mast. I measured the height of the mast sheeves on the old broken mast foot and it is 2 3/4" inches high. Since that the 265 kit doesn't have sheeves, I can cut slots in the mast for the lines to exit and add deck blocks. A sailboat dealer mentioned shimming the height with a material called poly core but it is only 1 1/2" thick. Does anybody have any ideas of how to shim a mast at least 2" that will not look strange and also be stable? Thank you for all of your comments and help.
I'll let other speak to the material to use, but it will not look strange at all. The spacer will go below the deck plate and holder for the blocks, and looks perfectly normal. BTW, you'll love the external blocks. With the halyards exiting the mast at shoulder level, you can jump your halyards at the mast. A huge deal if you ever fly a spinnaker.
The tang that holds the pin in the mast base on the 272 is notorious for breaking. The slightest twist as you step or unstep your mast will snap it off. I had mine welded back on, and I removed the pin to allow the mast to be easily stepped by crane.
Anyway, the mast base can be repaired if you have all the pieces.
I considered removing the the tongue under the mast base that slots into the step plate on deck and screwing a hinged plate.
Anyway, the mast base can be repaired if you have all the pieces.
I considered removing the the tongue under the mast base that slots into the step plate on deck and screwing a hinged plate.
Andrew:
Thanks for the information. The tang may be too far gone in my case but I will check to see if it is all still there. I had not considered cutting and grinding the tongue of the mast base off and screwing a stainless steel hinge plate to the bottom of it and the deck. Adding a hinged plate would not add very much to the mast height and affect the stays and furler whereas changing the mast deck and mast footing would require adding a thick G10 plate to compensate for the height of the old mast foot sheeves.