My mast collar is wood that is now soft in the forward part. It looks to have a cap plate (also wood) held on by four screws. Somewhere in there are the heads of the bolts that come down through the cabin top into the salon. One of those bolts spins now that I took the nuts off. Before I cause any damage, can anyone tell me if they went through this before? I would appreciate suggestions?
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Charles
Not Original
Hi Jerry, haven't seen you in Madisonville in a while. I don't beleive the wood parts your talking about are original. When I pulled my mast two years ago I asked a lot of questions but didn,t find much information. Try the link below, its the Manuf. of the mast and shows the mast to deck parts that Hunter used, at least on the 37's I've seen. Charles S/V Destiny
Hi Jerry, haven't seen you in Madisonville in a while. I don't beleive the wood parts your talking about are original. When I pulled my mast two years ago I asked a lot of questions but didn,t find much information. Try the link below, its the Manuf. of the mast and shows the mast to deck parts that Hunter used, at least on the 37's I've seen. Charles S/V Destiny
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Jerry
Updated info - wood piece is just a cover
Hi Charles, Visited my sister-in-law's boat down from you, but missed seeing you. Anyway, in between the rain, I found out the wood piece is just a cover. Under it was a flat aluminum oval plate with a tab welded on each side. The tabs hold a through bolt for the mast. I can now also access the cabin top thu-bolts. There is no flange, so I am not sure how to use the spartite kit. It requres a 2 inch deep pour to be effective.
Hi Charles, Visited my sister-in-law's boat down from you, but missed seeing you. Anyway, in between the rain, I found out the wood piece is just a cover. Under it was a flat aluminum oval plate with a tab welded on each side. The tabs hold a through bolt for the mast. I can now also access the cabin top thu-bolts. There is no flange, so I am not sure how to use the spartite kit. It requres a 2 inch deep pour to be effective.
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Ed Schenck
Spartite?
I don't think that Spartite will work on our H37Cs Jerry. How would you accomodate the big tabs that the mast bolt goes through? Did your wood cover go over that? I hope someone has some suggestions about how to properly seal the mast at the cabin. Enough water comes down the inside of the mast and the sail track without also having it come down the sides and into the cabin. I have replaced some of those collar bolts with eye bolts, for a vang and blocks. That makes it even more difficult to get a seal around that collar.
I don't think that Spartite will work on our H37Cs Jerry. How would you accomodate the big tabs that the mast bolt goes through? Did your wood cover go over that? I hope someone has some suggestions about how to properly seal the mast at the cabin. Enough water comes down the inside of the mast and the sail track without also having it come down the sides and into the cabin. I have replaced some of those collar bolts with eye bolts, for a vang and blocks. That makes it even more difficult to get a seal around that collar.
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Jim Legere
Needs improvement
I have thought about how to seal the mast through the deck on my 37C. Why Hunter designed the deck flange without a lip to secure a mast boot, I can't fathom. The next time my spar is out (not this winter, unfortunately) I plan to unbolt the deck flange and head off to the welding shop. I reckon a 1/2 to 3/4 inch lip is required. The question is whether to attach it around the ID - effectively tying it to the two tabs for the through bolt - or to the OD, thus covering the through-deck bolts with the mast boot (preferable). As to the mast boot, there are plenty of options, from painted canvas to store bought PVC units to ones made from inner tube. In the mean time I continue to caulk the gap with silicone every season... not ideal!
I have thought about how to seal the mast through the deck on my 37C. Why Hunter designed the deck flange without a lip to secure a mast boot, I can't fathom. The next time my spar is out (not this winter, unfortunately) I plan to unbolt the deck flange and head off to the welding shop. I reckon a 1/2 to 3/4 inch lip is required. The question is whether to attach it around the ID - effectively tying it to the two tabs for the through bolt - or to the OD, thus covering the through-deck bolts with the mast boot (preferable). As to the mast boot, there are plenty of options, from painted canvas to store bought PVC units to ones made from inner tube. In the mean time I continue to caulk the gap with silicone every season... not ideal!
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Gene Gruender
Why is the silicone such a problem?
I use the silicone on mine and found that it seals quite well. Cost isn't much, and it's not much of a job to do. Why do you find it to be such a problem?
I use the silicone on mine and found that it seals quite well. Cost isn't much, and it's not much of a job to do. Why do you find it to be such a problem?
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Ed Schenck
Silicone.
Maybe I am not using enough silicone? I cannot seem to keep water from coming down the outside of the mast. My mast has a cover in the salon, from the partners to the table. It is usually damp after a rain. That surface between the aluminum partner and the mast is flat and the water can lie on there. If that heavy rubber seal had a slope it would help I think. Because I attach blocks to eyebolts on that partner I am limited as to a solution. Wonder if any of these would work?: http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparParts/Mast_wedges.html
Maybe I am not using enough silicone? I cannot seem to keep water from coming down the outside of the mast. My mast has a cover in the salon, from the partners to the table. It is usually damp after a rain. That surface between the aluminum partner and the mast is flat and the water can lie on there. If that heavy rubber seal had a slope it would help I think. Because I attach blocks to eyebolts on that partner I am limited as to a solution. Wonder if any of these would work?: http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/SparParts/Mast_wedges.html
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Gene Gruender
problem may be in the wire channel
Mine still leaks, but only in the channel the wires run down. There is no way to seal that with a boot, or silicone around it. Next time i have reason to have the mast out I will cut the channel right at the deck, slide in the upper part ( that comes down to the deck) and seal it well, then slide in the lower part from the deck down. As to filling the area with silicone, I use cheap household stuff, then put one time around, down in the middle. I let it cure, then fill the rest of the top, then from the bottom. I've pulled the mast a couple times, it pulls right out. It's been in now this time since '96 and shows no problem (except the leaking through the wire channel, of course)
Mine still leaks, but only in the channel the wires run down. There is no way to seal that with a boot, or silicone around it. Next time i have reason to have the mast out I will cut the channel right at the deck, slide in the upper part ( that comes down to the deck) and seal it well, then slide in the lower part from the deck down. As to filling the area with silicone, I use cheap household stuff, then put one time around, down in the middle. I let it cure, then fill the rest of the top, then from the bottom. I've pulled the mast a couple times, it pulls right out. It's been in now this time since '96 and shows no problem (except the leaking through the wire channel, of course)
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Jim Legere
Caulk will fail!
I don't think silicone or any other caulk can work for very long because the mast is always working side to side (imperceptably, one hopes!) in the opening and the caulking seal will eventually fail. Silicone has probably the highest modulus of elastisity of any caulk (good) but relatively poor adhesion (compared to, say polyurethane). The other issue is the flange and all the fastenings must be well bedded to prevent leaks. At least with a seaman-like (seaperson-like?) mast boot, the water can be effectively directed away. Looks better too.
I don't think silicone or any other caulk can work for very long because the mast is always working side to side (imperceptably, one hopes!) in the opening and the caulking seal will eventually fail. Silicone has probably the highest modulus of elastisity of any caulk (good) but relatively poor adhesion (compared to, say polyurethane). The other issue is the flange and all the fastenings must be well bedded to prevent leaks. At least with a seaman-like (seaperson-like?) mast boot, the water can be effectively directed away. Looks better too.
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Dave Simpson
Partners Seal
Probably all wrong, but I solved the problem sort of incidentally about 12 years ago when I was rigging the mast lines aft to clutches on the cabin top. I got one of those perforated SS collars for the mast base for attaching blocks and such, with 1" holes around a 45-degree up-angled lip standing proud from the flat base which has a large hole in it for the mast to pass through....(sorry for the convoluted description, but I hope you know what I'm talking about.) Anyway, the mast was in the boat, and I wasn't going to get that base collar to slide OVER the mast, so I cut it fore and aft and slipped it AROUND the mast, drilling for 6 1/4-20x1/2" mounting bolts into the existing Mast-Deck-Collar on each side. Before Putting the pieces down, I flooded the area beneath and up the mast with....dare I say it?....3M-5200!!! Twelve years now, and admittedly, we live in Sunny California, but it does rain here a bit, and I do still get water into the bilge through the wire channel, and no, I haven't had to pull the mast but.....no leaks!
Probably all wrong, but I solved the problem sort of incidentally about 12 years ago when I was rigging the mast lines aft to clutches on the cabin top. I got one of those perforated SS collars for the mast base for attaching blocks and such, with 1" holes around a 45-degree up-angled lip standing proud from the flat base which has a large hole in it for the mast to pass through....(sorry for the convoluted description, but I hope you know what I'm talking about.) Anyway, the mast was in the boat, and I wasn't going to get that base collar to slide OVER the mast, so I cut it fore and aft and slipped it AROUND the mast, drilling for 6 1/4-20x1/2" mounting bolts into the existing Mast-Deck-Collar on each side. Before Putting the pieces down, I flooded the area beneath and up the mast with....dare I say it?....3M-5200!!! Twelve years now, and admittedly, we live in Sunny California, but it does rain here a bit, and I do still get water into the bilge through the wire channel, and no, I haven't had to pull the mast but.....no leaks!
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