PinoyPiper Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Mizzen mast fell over the other day in the middle of a tack, my guess is there wasn't enough downhaul tension. It ripped the screws out that were holding the mast partner (thwart) in place. Thwart is still in one piece as I made a thicker stronger one when the mizzen also fell over last year and broke the thwart in half while the boat was at anchor. Need to think of a way to keep it in place, either a deeper mast step or maybe a pin through the mast under the mast partner. any other ideas? The boat obviously couldn't point very well and couldn't go back where we came from, it's a good thing we had the outboard mounted, but only a liter of gas on board. When we ran out of gas we just sailed to the closest shore we could get to on a beam reach and bought gas from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted December 16, 2013 Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Did the base of the mast come out of the step to cause this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinoyPiper Posted December 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2013 Did the base of the mast come out of the step to cause this? Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hirilonde Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 Did the base of the mast come out of the step to cause this? Yes Hmm, the downhaul on my Spindrift cleats to the mast below the boom. This means it does nothing to hold the mast in the step. Actually, nothing but the weight of the mast, boom and sail holds it in, and maybe a little friction at the partner. Is the hole in the step not very deep? Or are the sides of the hole or the butt of the mast angled or rounded such that the mast slips out? Or maybe the hole is a little large and the fit is sloppy? I am puzzled as to why you have this problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinoyPiper Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 mast step was built to spec. it's about an inch deep, no bevel or rounding at the top. I also had a spindrift before and never had that problem. on the CS, the downhaul is from the mast partner to the sail, to a cleat on the mast here are pictures of the mast step and mast partner when the boat was being built, the thwart (mast partner) is thicker now on the starboard side, I rebuilt it with "bi-axial plank" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Stumpf Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 I built a mast tube and epoxied it into the floor socket. It makes lining the mizzen up a snap and is strong as all get up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 On my Spindrift 12 the downhaul is attached to the mast step then up through the eyelet in the foot of the sail and down to the cleat as per the plans, so it is impossible for the mast to come out unless you have no pressure on the downhaul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecgossett Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 My downhaul is cleated on the mast, and the other end is secured around the thwart seat. Mine ripped out because of making a base block that was to small, and now using screws. It's not epoxied and tightened with bolts instead of screws. The screws could have had something to do with it. How badly did it screw up the seat? Any cracking? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinoyPiper Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 no cracking with the seat. it's very much in one piece. though I think i might to screw them down in new places as I can't screw them back where they were before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dnjost Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 I like the mast tube solution. I am not there yet with my build as the weather is now too cold to work in the shed, but thought that the mizzen needed at least an arrangement like the Laser where the downhaul keeps the stick in the hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Garland Posted December 17, 2013 Report Share Posted December 17, 2013 I have a dedicated downhaul of dyneema line that ties down mast to a pad eye on the thwart. Like Jim did on his boat; It would be good to have a tube like the foremast to prevent the mast ripping the thwart out...could easily happen in a capsize and makes the whole assembly stronger. It would be good to modify the plans to suggest that...I thought of it too late. I also have snotter and tack lines lead to thwart which helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinoyPiper Posted December 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2013 had a capsize last month also, mast didn't fall out because there was adequate downhaul tension, I guess the moral of the story is to always set the d/h as long as long as the mizzen is stepped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveKos Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 You could try a technique that Hobie uses on their sailing kayaks. They just attach a bungie cord to the mast with a ring at the end, and a hook on the mast step. Then you just pull the bungie down and hook it on the hook and the down tension keeps it there. If you are stepping it through the seat you just cut out a bit of a notch to allow the bungie to pass through and place the hook adjacent to the step at the bottom. I use this method for the mast on my kayak and it's never failed yet. I use a S/Steel hose clamp for the bungy attachment to the mast. You don't need lots of tension to hold the mast in place. About 20 lbs tension should be plenty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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