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Spindrift 12 #1275 - Mast step fit


J. Cote

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I may have goofed, and looking for your inputs to resolve.

 

My mast step (prior to fillet & glassing the inner seams) fit nicely. The Mast would slip through the collar and nest into the step with no effort.  After "fillet & glass", the mast struggles to find the step.  Feels like the step has moved aft in the boat & the mast binds in the collar (see photos). I thought the bottom of the step originally fit the contour of the boat, but my before & after photos tell me that relationship has not changed.

 

So I have 3 questions regarding the mast step:

1) How do I recover the original fit? Should I shave the front wall of the mast step so it shifts forward in the boat to line up with the mast collar again? Or cut, heat up & remove the glass on the bulkhead?

2) Regarding the mast cap. The mast fits perfectly in the step right now.  Will the cap be too big to fit? Or does the cap fit "inside" the mast tube?

3) On the CS15 video, I saw Alan router and fit a flexible tube into the step for drainage. Should I be doing that for the S12?

Thanks for your inputs, in advance...1004542634_Maststepbeforeglass.thumb.jpg.f3e555e91d31d180dce2df550d861afc.jpg416143002_maststepbinding.thumb.jpeg.c0eaa03b5dee0601e1b50fcdff4323cd.jpeg1166751698_maststepwithglass.thumb.jpeg.eb6959982b92a461f340c94206e913bc.jpeg

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Jan,

 

You are fine. The mast in it's relaxed state sits vertical and the mast collar pitches down aft. This is why the mast is tight, you can see a gap at the aft side of the collar. There will be a gap on the underside forward.

 

You just need to ease the forward top and aft underside until the mast slides nicely. I like to use a length of 1 1/2" PVC pipe or something similar to wrap some sandpaper around working it up and down. The trick is to make hole loose enough to allow for epoxy and paint without being sloppy.

 

You do not need to fuss much at this stage as the deck has to go on which may tighten it up more. 

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Jan,

 

I am not sure about your second question as there may be some terminology issues. The cap goes on top of the mast. The ply piece under the mast is the step and the piece in the mast that fits into the step is the heel.

 

I like to glue in the step last after all of the glass work is done and I like to check that the mast is vertical when the boat is level. The same rules apply to the step for the right clearance as for the collar. If the mast and heel is tight in the step, it is easier to adjust the step in the vise rather than in the boat.

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I see I jumped to conclusions. Now I see on the plans, that a "wood plug" goes in the bottom of the mast (what I think you are calling the "heel").

The top section of my mast is a closet rod.... I assumed it didn't need a cap.

However, my S12 Mast Kit parts list includes: "Starboard mast caps (top & bottom)".  Alan is going to ship these later, so I currently don't have a visual of these parts to help me understand their purpose.

 

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