A buddy has a C30 and pointed out that his masthead is open - you can look down from the top at the masthead sheaves. Is this typical? Seems like an unnecessary water pathway and hard on your sheaves and wiring even if it drains out at the base of the mast. He found it because he unstepped his mast due to a leak down his compression post. Thanks.
Open Masthead?
- Thread starter Claygr
- Start date
Just had our Mast pulled, rigging inspected, LED Lights mounted...also installed a new plate to cover the top of the mast.
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Claygr,
I liked what P&P installed.
My mast crane had cracked. I replaced this & also decided to fabricate & use a close-off plate. An open top I feel is what causes cabin-top sag at the base. My base plate wasn't properly sealed, no drain holes in the mast & the electrical wiring pass thru was installed poorly. All of which lead to some major repair work. But now, I won't have this problem.
With the new top, I finally added a mast tube for wiring and conversion for my halyards to run inside the mast. No more clanging of halyards & wiring. I also added a 3" dia. vent plate near the bottom of the mast on both sides to vent any moisture buildup.
CR
I liked what P&P installed.
My mast crane had cracked. I replaced this & also decided to fabricate & use a close-off plate. An open top I feel is what causes cabin-top sag at the base. My base plate wasn't properly sealed, no drain holes in the mast & the electrical wiring pass thru was installed poorly. All of which lead to some major repair work. But now, I won't have this problem.
With the new top, I finally added a mast tube for wiring and conversion for my halyards to run inside the mast. No more clanging of halyards & wiring. I also added a 3" dia. vent plate near the bottom of the mast on both sides to vent any moisture buildup.
CR
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I should've also mentioned that I drilled a series of 1/4" half round holes along the bottom edge of the mast under the louvered vent plates eq. spaced (three per side about 1 1/2" apart).
I did the same on the mast step plate to allow drainage of any water standing inside the cast aluminum plate & from any space between the plate & the inside wall of the mast. I don't want any water to sit for any length of time. I had a 1 1/2" CPVC vertical pipe (for my cabin-top pass-thru wiring) 3" high glassed in when I repaired my cabin top mast sag. To this I added a 180° CPVC slip fitting on top of the tube (this fitting is not glued for easier fishing of the wiring.
This way, when my wiring exits the mast tube (attached internally to my mast) then, I pass the wiring thru the 180° fitting & down my glassed-in CPVC to my junction box in the head. This keeps any water from seeping into my coring.
CR
I did the same on the mast step plate to allow drainage of any water standing inside the cast aluminum plate & from any space between the plate & the inside wall of the mast. I don't want any water to sit for any length of time. I had a 1 1/2" CPVC vertical pipe (for my cabin-top pass-thru wiring) 3" high glassed in when I repaired my cabin top mast sag. To this I added a 180° CPVC slip fitting on top of the tube (this fitting is not glued for easier fishing of the wiring.
This way, when my wiring exits the mast tube (attached internally to my mast) then, I pass the wiring thru the 180° fitting & down my glassed-in CPVC to my junction box in the head. This keeps any water from seeping into my coring.
CR
I will be fabricating a cap for mine in the next month or so as well. My mast was full of dung when it was unstepped. Nasty.
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Bob,
Thanks, I appreciate your post pal. It conveys to me that you have given this thread some thoughtful insight.
My boat year/model however, is a Mark II, built in 1979. The difference in our boats was the lack of quality control between my built years & yours. Profit margins were much skinnier then to when your boat was built, hence my boat is a solid proof of discovered problems.
I have to assume that your boat is a keel stepped mast, hence the boat (Mark III) you mentioned. It strikes me that you have a designed method of ridding yourself of accumulated water. I on the other hand do not.
Sadly, my boat edition is markedly different, that mine is a deck step mast. Saying this, your boat was designed differently than mine. Again, That being said, what would your post read like if your design was akin to mine? With my design, there is NO fix step one.
Then, we move onto step II, Let's recap. My mast is deck stepped, yours is not. My spar was open topped (yours too I must assume), My mast step plate was poorly sealed, my thru deck electrical connections faulty as well. Water intrusion from faulty workmanship/cost restrictions caused my cabin top coring to absorb water. This was is what caused my mast step cabin top to sag. Apparently, was not part of your design, alas it was mine to contend.
So, what's a girl to do?
Option-1, would maybe be a quick fix that would maybe last a year or two. Then probably, the original problem would again rear its ugly head.
Option-2, maybe I do it right once & I only do it once, hence, the problem is NOW eliminated. If having my inherent Mark II problems, how then would you proceed?
Boats are different, not all engineers are created equal & not all doctors are created equal. So, what would you decide is best way for me to proceed? I'm open to all options. What if you decide my way is NOT the best solution. If so, I am all ears.
Would you decide to do it differently? Maybe take a shot of recreating the wheel? It's your decision, but unless you own my boat with all of her imperfections, can you really make a one-fix-fix-all suggestion that would work for me? Really?
CR
Thanks, I appreciate your post pal. It conveys to me that you have given this thread some thoughtful insight.
My boat year/model however, is a Mark II, built in 1979. The difference in our boats was the lack of quality control between my built years & yours. Profit margins were much skinnier then to when your boat was built, hence my boat is a solid proof of discovered problems.
I have to assume that your boat is a keel stepped mast, hence the boat (Mark III) you mentioned. It strikes me that you have a designed method of ridding yourself of accumulated water. I on the other hand do not.
Sadly, my boat edition is markedly different, that mine is a deck step mast. Saying this, your boat was designed differently than mine. Again, That being said, what would your post read like if your design was akin to mine? With my design, there is NO fix step one.
Then, we move onto step II, Let's recap. My mast is deck stepped, yours is not. My spar was open topped (yours too I must assume), My mast step plate was poorly sealed, my thru deck electrical connections faulty as well. Water intrusion from faulty workmanship/cost restrictions caused my cabin top coring to absorb water. This was is what caused my mast step cabin top to sag. Apparently, was not part of your design, alas it was mine to contend.
So, what's a girl to do?
Option-1, would maybe be a quick fix that would maybe last a year or two. Then probably, the original problem would again rear its ugly head.
Option-2, maybe I do it right once & I only do it once, hence, the problem is NOW eliminated. If having my inherent Mark II problems, how then would you proceed?
Boats are different, not all engineers are created equal & not all doctors are created equal. So, what would you decide is best way for me to proceed? I'm open to all options. What if you decide my way is NOT the best solution. If so, I am all ears.
Would you decide to do it differently? Maybe take a shot of recreating the wheel? It's your decision, but unless you own my boat with all of her imperfections, can you really make a one-fix-fix-all suggestion that would work for me? Really?
CR
CR,
I believe all C30's are deck stepped. I know mine is. It's open on top too. The opening is maybe 2" x 10" wide. I wasn't sure how much would really get in there. Seeing I'm stepped yearly I don't see much but the dung in Garbone's mast would make me want a cap. Yuk!. You Florida folks pull your mast maybe once every decade? Mine is down and was thinking should I. Last year I added a deck plate and black anodized the deck plate. Thanks, always appreciate your comments and advise.
I believe all C30's are deck stepped. I know mine is. It's open on top too. The opening is maybe 2" x 10" wide. I wasn't sure how much would really get in there. Seeing I'm stepped yearly I don't see much but the dung in Garbone's mast would make me want a cap. Yuk!. You Florida folks pull your mast maybe once every decade? Mine is down and was thinking should I. Last year I added a deck plate and black anodized the deck plate. Thanks, always appreciate your comments and advise.
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Hi,
Does anybody happen to have a dimension drawing for the mast cover plate that you made? I see Ron's boat has a (spinnaker?) bail on it, which mine lacks, but I believe all of us have a comparable cast aluminum head (except early 70's boats).
I'm mostly interested in the location and diameter of the anchor light cutout.
Thanks!
Does anybody happen to have a dimension drawing for the mast cover plate that you made? I see Ron's boat has a (spinnaker?) bail on it, which mine lacks, but I believe all of us have a comparable cast aluminum head (except early 70's boats).
I'm mostly interested in the location and diameter of the anchor light cutout.
Thanks!
That brings back memories.... after seeing water in the cabin coming through the compression post??, I took the mast down and redid all of the sealing at the step, replaced lights, cables and halyards.... resolved the water in the cabin problem for almost a year, and back to the same issues again. Does not make a lot of sense to me anymore, but a cover certainly does! I assume that it is aluminum, what is the thickness and how does it attach? Since I will most likely take the mast down again, I wanted to get all of the parts ready. Thanks a lot!
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I didnt read all the previous replies, so this may have been mentioned already, but the masthead is commonly open, but not desirable... because birds and debris can get down in there. this is the only reason
but neither does it need to be waterproof or air tight, because ventilation inside the mast is good to allow it to dry out when water does get in, and it will.
there needs to be adequate drain holes at the foot of the mast, that are open and NOT clogged, to allow water to drain away, as its the puddled and standing water that gets into the boat, NOT the water that drains away to the outside...
but neither does it need to be waterproof or air tight, because ventilation inside the mast is good to allow it to dry out when water does get in, and it will.
there needs to be adequate drain holes at the foot of the mast, that are open and NOT clogged, to allow water to drain away, as its the puddled and standing water that gets into the boat, NOT the water that drains away to the outside...
I you do end up going for it, can you throw together a quick drawing with measurements for us? It would save me a bunch of hassle coordinating a mast climb.
Only if it's convenient...thx!
I have hull #364. It was abandoned at her mooring in downtown Christiansted, St. Croix. Since then I scraped all the coral, reoaired the broken quadrant, cracked rudder, broken mast, refinished all the teal, added bow and stern pulpits, stanchion, life lines.
Led all lines now internal aft via turning blocks, organizers to cabin top winches and clutches.
Replaced the old traveler with a new Harken in the cockpit. Boomkicker, adjustabke backstay and added the plate to cover the top of the mast. I welded a longer crsne to allow a larger main with a larger roach. The boom is permanen at it's lowest position on the mast.
This, with a added roller furling and a 125% genoa balances the boat perfectly.
Just finished racind in both the St. Thomas and BVI Regattas. Winds constantly gusting to over 30 except the last day where we got a third and a first.
,
Led all lines now internal aft via turning blocks, organizers to cabin top winches and clutches.
Replaced the old traveler with a new Harken in the cockpit. Boomkicker, adjustabke backstay and added the plate to cover the top of the mast. I welded a longer crsne to allow a larger main with a larger roach. The boom is permanen at it's lowest position on the mast.
This, with a added roller furling and a 125% genoa balances the boat perfectly.
Just finished racind in both the St. Thomas and BVI Regattas. Winds constantly gusting to over 30 except the last day where we got a third and a first.
,
