ranger 29 mast step compression and cabin seperation

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sunny

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Jun 11, 2009
3
2 ranger 29 Tofino
I have a ranger 29 that someone has pointed out a little compression around the mast step and some cracks radiating in the glass on the cabin ceiling under the mast. it has seemed to have sunk(visually by looking on the top of cabin) about 3/8 inch. There is some definate seperation in the cabin top. blistering and oil canning in the glass forward of the hatch. Is the cabin structural at all? What i would like to know is how serious is this and does it affect safety? I can live with imperfections but do not want to risk injury to someone while sailing. Are there cheaper fixes. i don't have a lot of monies tied up in her but have gotten a little attached as she is fun, fast and makes a great camper.
There is also a slight "pleasure curve" in the mast. Can this be rigged out?
 
May 18, 2009
71
Beneteau First 38 Portland
I'm not sure about the R29, but My R33 had a similar problem. The R33 has a "compression post" under the deck that extends to the cabin sole. They left out a little shim under the cabin sole that supported the whole thing on the hull (where it's really thick). The floor sags, the head door cants in it's frame, and the deck oilcans. This is a classic problem with the R33 and you fix it by just relieving the pressure and filling the space under the floor (mine needed a 1/2" shim).
 
Dec 13, 2008
5
Santana 30/30 GP Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
Hi Sunny;

While I'm not an owner of a Ranger 29, I do own a Ranger 23, though mine does not have a compression post. R-23's were built with a solid fiberglass 'header' spanning the width of the vessel and further support provided by the port & starboard bulkheads.

Having said that, I do work on sail boats now and again, and suggest that you could very well have a safety issue here with your mast and deck not having the structure and support for the mast that it once had. It seems that water has infiltrated between the two fiberglass layers thus damaging the balsa core, and so it seems the compression post.

I would; remove the mast; have a fiberglass guy cut out the upper layer (deck) of fiberglass and conduct an inspection of the core. I suspect the wood core is all but non existant. This should be replaced with either new wood core, or normally with fiberglass and resin. The post and the needed shim can be addressed at the same time without the load of the mast.

Hope this helps; though I suspect by the dates of the postings, you've long since either fixed the issue, or decided it was not necessary.

Dave
vaughan336@cox.net
 
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