Mast area noise

Newsgroups Archive Prior to 2025
1

We were out on Lake Ontario when i heard a noise coming from somewhere around the mast. The winds were about 12 knots with about 3 foot waves. We were on a close reach, and with the waves hitting the side of the boat, there was reasonable motion The attached video contains the noises.

I suspect loose wedges but have found that all of them are tight and not bottomed out.. They are wood and I wonder if replacing them with plastic ones would solve the problem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you

John Barbour

Nature 26U

Toronto

(attachments)

2

I have only ever seen the rink board (plastic) wedges so far but have also seen where people carry wood ones as back up but not as primaries

John SMYTH
Fatal Distraction
NS30U #388
Toronto Canada.

3

I’d look for any evidence that Nature’s mast step casting is damaged or loose.

If the wedges are snug and the deck collar isn’t cracked … any movement in the base would translate into lots of force on the deck.

There is an article on the website about a mast step repair that may shed some light .

Good luck diagnosing the problem. I hops it’s something easy to fix.

Rob
s/v SOAVE
NS33 #009
Cedar Point YC
Westport, CT

4

Before buying the plastic wedges you should check and make sure that the bolts at the base of the mast are all tight.

Mark Powers

5

Hi John, the noise sounds like the dreaded “mast clunk”. If so, it’s easily fixed by snugging up the bolts that hold the mast inside the mast base. Be careful not to overtighten the bolts because the bolts are stainless steel and the mast base is aluminum and can easily be stripped.

Ron

Ron & Diane Schryver
“Alpha Waves” 1987 NS30U #393
Georgian Bay Midland ON

6

It sounds like mast noise to me. I had similar noises and eventually replaced my wooden wedges with plastic ones and am quite happy. One word of caution – the only way to check the set bolts at the base is to loosen the lock nuts first and then check the tightness by loosening them first. Don’t just try and tighten them. This will tell you if they are seized in the shoe. If so, I believe I have a lengthy email on that subject. My advice to anyone is if you are going to check for tightness, take them out, run a thread chaser and then screw back in with Tef Gell coating the threads.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

7

Thank you everyone for the good advice. I backed out the two mast step bolts and covered the threads with stainless/aluminum anti seize compound, before re-tightening them.
I also checked the deck collar bolts and was surprised I could relatively easily tighten them up a half turn or so. They were almost inaccessible but my ratcheting box end wrench managed to squeeze in.
I will install plastic wedges when we launch in the spring.

John Barbour
Nature 26U
Toronto