Big OOPS...Mast Step damage, now what?

[81venture]

Well we had a little accident yesterday evening....

"Mast Stepping" after much research on the internet is something I was afraid this might happen...

When I first got the boat, a fellow down the road (I looked at his boat for sale, but didn't buy) was a nice guy and came over and helped me raise the mast...there were 3 of us, we didn't have any nifty little rasing winch system, but we got it up....

So last night I wanted it back down. We wanted it completely removed from the boat.... PLans to take it to Falls lake today and float it for a bit, use the motor and just put around for an hour, see how she feels...

Well, I should've known better, and should've trusted my gut... My buddy (who sailed a 40 footer) came over to help... When we put it up we slid the mast backwards, bolted to step, then hauled it up....I have always seen in the youtube videos that the mast get pulled forward UP, and Let down slowly toward the aft end...

But Louis decides that isn't right, the mast steps down toward the front..... My guts saying no, but I trust my friend. He also undid all the stays, and we were on each side holding it upright (holding a stay on each side, he had rigged tackle and was going to lower it using the boom as a leverage point....again my gut is saying no, but like I said I trust him...

He begins to lower it, and the block/tackle he rigged is controlling the decent quite easily...

BUT

about 3/4s the way down the mast starts to come toward me on the port side....my son on the starboard side can't hold it...It begins to twist and comes right toward me... I caught it and there is no damage to the mast, but as it swung down and sideways it twisted the mast step, and pulled the rear bolt right through the roof....







Louis is real apologetic, will help me fix it.... It looks like I'll be doing a little glasswork. But he says its actually a blessing in disguise, as the mast step bolts don't even have washers underneath...he says there should be a plate, or at least large washers....

So would like opinions....he says we can hammer the step back to shape...I am not sure

Can I buy a new one? Are they expensive and where do I get one....I am not sure I am even calling it by the correct name....

I couldn't sleep last night, kept hearing the horrible tearing noise as the bolt pulled through....

I am sure I am not the only one that has done this....please help me feel better and tell me I haven't ruined the new boat....

And am I right? the mast steps down toward the aft? I'm gonna have to get a better system than "winging" it for sure.....

[Tomfoolery]

First off, I don't know that particular boat other than it's one of, if not THE, nicest looking trailer boats ever made.

The mast step is probably salvagable. I bent the one on my A23 years ago, which was similar with the vertical slot, and simply bent it back into shape. It doesn't do much when sailing, other than keeping the mast base from sliding out of place.

If you want a new one, Blue Water Yachts lists a replacement for $37. BWY p/n 3439-1V0. I don't know if it's identical, and the description is a little vague*, and there's no pic, but it's worth a phone call at least, if you don't want to try fixing what you have now.

You might also want to consider replacing it with the hinged type used on X and M boats.

While that mast step shouldn't be taking any real load under normal circumstances, it does have to resist a good bit of force when raising/lowering the mast, and especially if using a mast raising gin pole. The bolts should be backed up with a backing plate or large washers (not thin fender washers).

Oh, and do look into adding some babystays like the X and M boats, and many other have retrofitted, to prevent the mast from going over sideways in the future. I can, and often do, raise and lower the mast myself. No help. No broken parts. No injuries. No worries.

*From the part listing - Notes: THIS MAST BASE IS APPROXIMATELY 4" TALL AND HAS A LONG VERTICAL SLOT IN EACH SIDE FOR THE MAST BASE BOLT . USED ON ALL KEELBOATS AS WELL AS A FEW M19S AND 26CS IN 1992 AND 1993. CAN BE UPGRADED TO NEWER HINGED STYLE MAST BASE BY USING PART #3438-1X0 ZND 3439-1X0.

[DaveC426913]

BTW, in the future, it's pretty easy to rig a mast stabilizing system with a 20' length of old line. Prevents it from falling to port or starboard.

Just run the line from one side of the cabin roof up to some point on the mast (higher is better, but not so high that you can't detach it once the mast is up) and then back down to the other side. You just lash the line, raise the mast, then take down the line.

You want the tie-offs on the cabin to line up fore-to-aft as well as height-wise with the stepper so it forms an A shape. Doesn't have to be tight, just enough to stop the mast from going over to port or starboard. I had handrails along the cabin roof, which were perfect for lashing to.

[81venture]

Thanks for the help

So you don't think I've destroyed it

couldn't sleep last night...

Louis will be coming over later to help....

We will definitely put a backing plate after I do the glass work... Hopefully I can repair it and the base will hide the repair...won't know until I get the actual baseplate off...

I am thinking that BECAUSE there was no backing plate, and the bolt tore through with no washer, leaving a very small hole, that It actually saved the boat from more damage....

I'm just glad I caught the mast...it seems undamaged and i hear they are expensive...

Yes we LOVE this boat and the Classic "cutter" look....plans to do a lot to her and I will be posting pics and questions

hopefully I will not break anything more

[81venture]

When We raised it, We pushed the mast aft, installed the bolt in the step

Then we did a combo of me pulling some rope that was attached very high up (I think it goes to a sail?)

My big bubba friend was in the cockpit pushing up trying to get high enough to the pivot point where my pulling actually did some work

Dave (the guy that helped me raise it) went around the boat untagling stays that hung up on cleats....

While raising it, all the stays were connected...there is one aft, two on each side, and one that once we got it up hooked at the bow near the sprite...

Louis looked at it and said one is missing....should be two up front. ?

But when we raised it, since the side stays were connected the sway wasn't as much an issue...and we pulled forward and up.... but when louis disconnected the stays to use the tackle system, only our "muscle" kept it upright...this was our failure I believe...

I will have to look up "babystays" and see what they are...

I have seen the "pole" version and the "winch" on youtube, but the videos don't really get close enough to see the operation...usually from a distance showing a dude step it single handedly

Dave

[snotnosetommy]

81venture,
you're on the right track. baby stays are easy to install. I simply installed a mast bail (like a bucket bail) facing forward on the mast about eight feet up. Then installed a folding mast step about a foot up, so I could reach the bail. Then installed a bullseye fairlead on the cabin top on each side a few inches forward of the mast. Then made up the baby stays from cheap line with a stout snap hook on each end so they just snap to the fairlead at the bottom and snap to the mast bail at the top. Takes seconds to install or remove. Add a wooden adjuster block to each one (just like a tent rope adjuster) so you can adjust the baby stays as the mast goes down. Then you can guide the mast down right into the crutch all by yourself.
The line from the gin pole also hooks to the mast bail. Easy and reliable.
Happy sailing

[81venture]

It's gonna take me a couple hours to google all those new words you used

[Tomfoolery]

You don't need Google - search this site. There's been loads of discussion on this topic, most with pictures. More than you could ever want to know.

[chipveres]

Cheap and legal solution for backing plates = doubled fender washers. Cheap and questionable solution = any road sign you can find knocked down. A heck of a lot easier to saw than stainless steel.

Chip
P.S. I did almost the same thing with my mast step.

[Ixneigh]

I might be inclined to buy the mast raising pole and winch used on the current models. It has it's own side stays and makes the job easier by multiples. I converted my 22.2 into a free standing mast that two people and take out in 30 seconds. The sails stay on too. But the conversion was a job.

Ixneigh

[Tomfoolery]

I might be inclined to buy the mast raising pole and winch used on the current models.

Or use the boom vang fiddle blocks or mainsheet (if 4:1 or more) and a piece of aluminium tube and make your own style gin pole arrangement. You can even buy the bottom fittings from BWY, though I don't know if they'll fit the PO's mast. Even if it's not a good fit, he could always drill a second set of holes in the mast, just over the tabernacle. And there are lots of similar-but-different examples on this forum.

[Catigale]

You dont need to worry about backing plates, but you do need to repair the deck damage. All of the mast lad is compression onto the deck - you need to reglass an epoxy where the bolts pulled out imho

[heinzir]

My Venture 23 was run over and dismasted at her mooring by a drunken power boater several years ago. You can see what happened to the mast step. I had an 8" square 3/16" aluminum backing plate under the deck so the bolts did not pull out. The step itself was pretty mangled but I straightened it out and have had no problems.










Henry
Chiquita
http://sports.webshots.com/slideshow/230613770IXBurv

[81venture]

How exactly did the boat get "run over"

I am trying to picture in my mind this scenario

I am definitely going to fix the roof and re-glass/epoxy

the actual glass damage is not so bad because the bolt pulled through with no washer, so there was little fiberglass damage...

[K9Kampers]

...and what's the story of the Chiquita capsizing painting in your album?