Hello
On my N36 there are 4 bolts, one in each quadrant just above the mast collar on the bottom of the hull. These are not the bolts that secure the mast to the collar ( see photo). Can anyone tell me what these bolts are for? Thanks.
John Waldhausen
N36 #57
Northern Star
Bainbridge Island WA
I don’t think our 36 has those bolts. Does it hold the cast aluminum mast base onto the mast tube? If it does it is a very different arrangement to ours. I’ll look when I’m next at the boat.
Bill Kroes
John,
Have you had the opportunity to look inside your mast when it was out for the off season? I’m thinking a PO might have added a separate ID ring at the bottom of the mast for some reason. ( stripped bolts for example )
Brian
John,
I think both Brian and Bill’s guesses are plausible.
On a separate issue, I’m a little concerned about what looks like corrosion on the mast itself in the picture you posted. Here’s a close-up:
Note brown and pitting both sides of the red arrow.You might want to use the INA membership arrangement with Mike Quill to get his feedback on both the original question and the appearance of corrosion in this picture.
– Bob
Thank you all. The mast rarely comes out because in the Pacific Northwest there isn’t any need to haul out for the winter and I sail year round. The boat is going into the boat yard for something else and I’ll ask them to look at the possible corrosion and ask Mike as well. Thanks for the responses
John
John Waldhausen
From the NS36 Manual …
The bolts shown in the photo seem to have been added, perhaps to secure your mast heel.
I believe most owners pull ther masts and inspect every 5 years or so. Some more often and others less often.
It would seem that there are variations on the manual. Even my mast collar bolts are not in the same place that the manual says they should be.
John Waldhausen
John,
This other thread, Nonsuch 324 Mast Step , shows pictures of a N324 where there appears to have been an external piece bolted on to secure it on a keyway and prevent rotation. I’m not sure if it has useful information for you, but it makes me wonder if maybe you have an internal piece held on with your mystery bolts as Brian suggested.
Bob, That would make sense. The bolts have some lateral shear to them as if the mast has tried to turn within the mast collar. Mike Quill suggested that someone had tried to do a repair with the mast in place rather than unstepping it so it seems I need to have the mast removed and looked at. Thanks for the help from everyone.
John Waldhausen
John, I’m 99% sure those bolts are connecting the aluminum cast base to the aluminum extruded mast. I am #52 and I also have bolts where you indicate, although I have more of them. I don’t recall what the upper bolts do.
I emailed Mike Quill and he suggested someone at one point tried to do an in situ repair without removing the mast to keep it from twisting in the collar. He said I need to instep the mast and figure out the issue and repair it. So that’s what Im doing Monday.
John
John Waldhausen
