mast step leak

[BrianW]

I was dismasted about a month ago and developed a leak there. I was wondering if anyone has had this problem. Looking at it I don't know how the step is attached. I'm wondering if I should be concerned about structure strength. I have my new mast ready to go for the next time out and am a little nervous.

[MikeFloutier]

Hi Brian,

Sorry to hear of your problem, it must have been scary.

I'm quite a newbie myself but I'm guessing that a fair bit more information is going to be helpful, eg:

1. How were you dis-masted?
2. Did any standing rigging fail? How tight was it before-hand?
3. Where did the mast break?

You mention having the new mast ready. I'm assuming you've fitted it already. Were you simply able to bolt it on to the SS base/step with the hinge bolt?

I can understand your nervousness. Clearly the strain on the step has caused the leak problems. This may be as simple as just re-seating the step who's sealant may have been cracked. At the other end of the scale there maybe significant damage to the GRP of the deck which is hidden under the step.

It would be good to have more details but I would not want to go out again myself, after that dis-masting, without removing the step to examine the area beneath it.

Have you had it looked at professionally?

[BrianW]

We had beached the boat to start a fire and roast some brats. The weather moved in, went inside to wait it out. The winds were very strong, swung the boat sideways and the headsail deployed. Being how the boat doesn't sail well on land, something had to give. It broke about 10 feet up and folded. The step wasn't deformed but the foot on the mast was twisted. I don't know how the step is attached to the deck. There isn't a facility around here anymore that works on sailboats. I'm in Denver.
The deck area looks fine. This is a 1995 X.

[Tomfoolery]

I'm pretty sure there are some machine screws through the deck. From memory, when putting the wooden mid-mast support in place for trailering (mast already in the roller and pinned to the bow rail), I have to lift the mast to get the bottom of the two-by-fours past the screw heads. But I can't really verify that with the mast up, unless the heads are outside the hinge plate.

[K9Kampers]

I'm pretty sure there are some machine screws through the deck...

Confirming that... I have four philips pan head thru bolts that nut in the space behind the cabin liner. The aft two bolts secure to the compression post.