Has anyone else had issues with the mast step coming undone?
This past weekend, I discovered that all of the screws / bolts had come out, the step was pushed up against the front of the well and the only thing holding it steady were the two tie-rods.
It appears that the area in the hull around where some of the bolts are set had turned into mush allowing them to come out. Other bolts had sheared from the pressure/movement after the other ones came undone.
This happened to me once before in February 2016. I had the mast removed and the step refastened. Some of the screw fittings had to be replaced and the area around them rebuilt. I’m not entirely sure of the details here but my guess is that the area that they reset rotted from water.
So I’m having to pull the mast again and redo the setting again and I want to make sure we do it with something that holds more securely.
Any ideas / suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Man, that is bad luck. I feel sorry for you, but I think we need to know a bit more. Where are you located, warm water or cold, fresh water or salt? Is the boot around the mast in good condition and well closed? Has water been getting into the forward area of the bilge, was it fresh water or salt. What model Nonsuch do you have?
New rot in just two and a half years in an area that supposedly had been repaired does not seem right. Could there be a leak in the foredeck, the hawse pipe?
Tim in STL
White O’morn NS26U #216
Harbor Point Yacht Club
West Alton, MO
It is not unusual for that area to get wet. However, it was originally designed to be totally sealed for that reason. I have heard of minor problems such as having to reseal and re-drill the lag bolts, but nothing like you describe. It also sounds like the person that did the repair was inexperienced. The owner’s manual details that area of the boat. BTW, note how most of us sign our posts.
Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
I echo Tim’s sentiments - seriously rotten luck (but something is truly wrong for this to happen). Tim hit on all most of the questions that some of us who may weigh in would want to know.
But, the way I see it, you may have had a perfectly good repair done in an area that should never see an ingress of water, be it from the deck or from the sea. Obviously, that is the real issue and the “leak” (from wherever) must be properly plugged.
Is the bilge normally pretty dry ? Is there any evidence of water in other areas of the boat where it should be dry ? Any mould or other mush or rot anywhere aboard ? You may end up hauling the boat in order to identify and truly rectify the leak before you even go at the mast step repair.
Thanks all for the quick replies. I sail out of Marina Del Rey, CA on my Nonsuch 30C #98 Seminole. Salt water, of course. The mast collar is new so I don’t believe there’s water coming in from there. It was pretty wavy this weekend and water may have been spilling in from the hawsepipe which sometimes gets loose. But normally, it’s a dry area. When I found the problem, while under sail, there was water coming in. I assumed it was via the hawsepipe but I’ll have to check for other leaks. I’m going down there today to investigate further and will report back with some photos.
Chandos Erwin
Seminole NS30C #98
Del Rey Yacht Club
Marina del Rey, CA
Wow. That is scary. You are lucky. What if you were sailing downwind and the mast step moved to the rear. On my 26 there is nothing to stop it until the mast twists out of the deck and drops into the water forward. I’m going down to check my mast step.
Definitely a faulty repair. There is a lot of plywood in this area. If it is a 26 and the hull is sound, the step at least has to be cut away dug out and replaced. I know the step is bolted down but I don’t know into what. Mike Quill would know.
You don’t mention if you have the yard-designed mast hold-down turnbuckle rig that was offered as part of the early mast recall from the yard. I know that’s not directly the problem you’re describing, but it certainly could be indirectly related – if you don’t have that “mod.” Just curious.
For some odd reason I was looking at the manual page talking about the mast step just today. If mentions checking the tension of those lag bolts on a yearly basis. If you had done that you might have at least discovered your problem before a potential disaster struck.
Your experience is going to prompt me to check mine every spring from now on before the boat get launched for the summer.
Good luck getting a seaworthy repair this time around!
Yes, I do have the turnbuckle rig. I think those ended up being the only thing holding it up in the end. And some of the wire threads had broken by the time I made it back home.
When the repair is being done, make sure that there is a drain channel / limber hole under the mast step so that any water in the anchor locker can drain aft into the bilge. If it was plugged originally with debris or filled in from the last repair, that would mean any water forward of the mast step would pool against it. I flushed out a lot of crud through there when we bought the boat. Good luck with the repair.