26M Rotating Mast

[RandyMoon]

Cussing helps.

I have been toying with some kind of mod where two flexible straps are fastened (both sides) to the mast and the boom. Nothing super solid but enough to encourage the mast to rotate.

The good news is that Blue Water Yachts is coming up with some great innovations. Please keep them coming Todd.

[Harrison]

I used to have the same problem. Solution; drop the mast, remove the large nut and washers, clean the washers with scotchbright, apply a layer of wheelbearing grease to the washers, and re-assemble. No more sticking mast!

---Harrison

[RandyMoon]

I used to have the same problem. Solution; drop the mast, remove the large nut and washers, clean the washers with scotchbright, apply a layer of wheelbearing grease to the washers, and re-assemble. No more sticking mast!

---Harrison

Yea, but that requires actual work. It is easier to whine about it on the board.

[tidalwave]

I have 2004 26 After reading about mast rotation problems I replaced the three SS washers and nylon washer with three bronze washers and a teflon washer.
Most of this sailing season the mast would refuse to rotate about 1/3 of the time. I sprayed teflon lubricant into the base but that didn't last long.

One of the owners on this discussion page mentioned that too many washers would allow the mast to 'kinked' sideways and jam the rotation.

Did my Mac come with too many washers? I made sure that the bronze washers were to same diameter and thickness as the original SS washers.

Now I wonder if the factory put too many on the mast base?

[richandlori]

My 2004M just has two SS washers with a teflon washer inbetween. It didn't take long for the teflon washer to be squeezed out the side!

IT does sound like you have quite a few washers in there....

[Frank C]

Something bears note regarding plastic washers ... If the Macgregor factory is inserting plastic washers into the mast rotation stack, it's probably a good example of good 'ole, backyard, "trial 'n error" engineering.

A sailboat rigger warned me against the use of starboard, or other high-density plastics for high-compression areas. Plastics have a tendency to "creep" under compression, just like a liquid - hence they're prone to being 'squished' out of those areas. (Chip probably has an official engineering phrase to describe that physical property.)

My specific application was using a sheet of one-inch starboard as a mounting base for halyard stoppers on the deck. I was warned that anytime you squeeze the plastic and compress it using bolts, you're then prone to the plastic yielding under that compression. That will leave the bolts loose on the base, along with the related hardware.

It surely seems more apropriate to use stainless or bronze bushings (or genuine bearings) under the 26M mast.

[richandlori]

[quote="RandyMoon
Yea, but that requires actual work. It is easier to whine about it on the board. [/quote]



Ya but at some point, you do have to do something besides laying on the cabin top and banging on the mast to make it "rotate".