Widgeon Mast Hole Crack

[Mark]

I recently obtained an older Widgeon that is in pretty good shape except that the hole in the deck through which the mast is inserted is cracked. Some previous owner lost control when stepping the mast. The hole through which the mast is stepped is now s jagged 4 inches in diameter.My question is what's the best way to fix this? I was thinking of cutting a piece of marine plywood and bolting it under the little ledge that forms the structure where the mast whole is located. Then, I was going to lay some fiberglass on top of the ledge.First, is this a fixable problem?Second, is my approach viable?Lastly ,would it be OK to drill through the fiberglass?Any suggestions would be appreciated.Mark

 

[Don Evans]

I Think Your Close

Mark, you got the right idea in supporting the deck for the mast hole. I think you could do what your suggesting very successfully.I was also going to add that you could use 2 "rings" for a support collar, cut from King Starboard, which is a polymer and substitutes for plywood in marine applications. Trim the hole in the ragged fiberglass. Measure 2 collars (doughnuts), with an inside diameter slightly larger than the mast diameter, and the outside large enough to cover some "good" glass. Drill matching holes for the top and inside collar, say 3, and bolt the 2 collars to sandwich the glass using stainless bolts.If you can't find a small piece of Starboard, try buying a polyethylene cutting board, and cutting the rings out of this. Good luck with the project.Don

 

[Mark]

Thanks Don!

Don,Thanks for your reply. I am new to this and your encouragement means a lot.I will look into the King Starboard material.Thanks again,Mark

 

[dave]

do it all in glass

I recently completed a similar repair. It is quite easy to get a small grinder under the mast hole and grind off enough surface to make a repair from the bottom. Using west system epoxy and fiber glass mat, you can wet out the mat and force it up against the bottom of the mast hole. Also, you can wrap sections of wet mat around the mast hole up along the structure to make the whole area much thicker and sronger than it is now. As to the hole, by tracing the mast outline onto a piece of cardboard you can cut the repair to fit exactly the shape of the mast. You then sand out the top, use a little filler to replace missing gelcoat, and paint it with a white epoxy. It looks like new. good luck.dave