Hi All,
My mast step casting ( NS33 ) has two of the centering bolts broken off. The other’s are missing and the “jump pin” is missing. Looks like the last crew that pulled the mast got frustrated and decided to skip a few steps after the centering bolts broke. I sailed last season without centering bolts without knowing. Luck we were tentative with our new to us boat and didn’t sail in heavy weather or rough seas.
Has anyone removed their Nonsuch mast step casting ? If so, did it come out easy ? Was it glued in or just held in with the lag bolts ?
I’m going to restore the mast step to original spec. but I’m worried about removing the broken bolts in a confined space. Ward indicated in another thread he has worked on his mast step casting with his mast out, by hanging upside-down through deck collar. I’m not sure I’d fit, and if I do fit not sure about the quality of work I could do in that position.
The casting would be easier to work on if I remove it and work on it in my workshop… just wondering if the effort to remove and reinstall will be worth the saved effort during repair.
If you are curious, ( HERE ) is a Google album that I started to document the project and use to solicit advice. All visitors should be able to browse the album, folks with a Google id can leave comments at the album level inside each photo. I’ll keep adding to the album as the project progresses.
Rob,
I don’t have answers for your questions, but in case you have not seen it, go to the INA site, under the Membership tab you can find Members’ Tips and Projects. The 9th one down covers Replacement of A Nonsuch Mast Step. It may be of some help.
Rob: Replacing those broken bolts in place is not easy. If you can pull that casting out it will be a whole lot easier since if there is something to grab, you can use heat. If necessary, Heli Coils should work. I use them all the time. However, one must pay attention to the instructions.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
Rob - I removed my casting - Mast out. Re worked centering bolts Glad to talk to you about my experience Long texts not my thing
Jules Verne. 30 Ultra. #428. 1988 Steve Foose. 413 4466835. Pittsfield MA
Thanks everyone for the suggestions and encouragement.
Update… yesterday I spent a frigid day working to remove Soave’s mast step and also prepping for removing Soave’s waste tank so I can access her keel bolts.
Soave’s 36º F. interior temp was almost pleasant compared to the low-20’s with wind gusting to 25 weather outside. I ran an extension cord so I could run a small electric heater and top-off Soave’s batteries.
The mast step location is pretty awkward to work in ( HERE ). I had to get creative to get enough leverage to turn the lag bolts. They are located so close to the casting only a super thin walled socket would work and it was a 3/8" drive.
Anyhow, next step is to get the casting to release from it’s fiberglass bedding. I’m planning a session of gentle tapping and prying. Any suggestions are appreciated. Was also thinking of a heat gun to get a little expansion and contraction going. Let you know how it goes.
So far everything looks dry and solid. I think I’ll be home free once I get the casting to the shop.
I have a friend that is an auto mechanic that suggested I use a fluted extractor rather than the reverse threaded ones to reduce the possibility of having to deal with a broken extractor. I’ll probably start with the fluted one.
I’ll update the album once I have some photos of meaning progress… for now it’s slow going.
Rob: Have fun loosening the casting. It will come out. I saw a 30 that the yard didn’t remove the 4 locking bolts and just kept increasing the lift power and pulled it right out of the bottom. Mast, base and lag screws !! Wish I still had the photos. Putting the base in a vise and drilling out the set bolts will be time consuming but reasonably easy if done right. Get the best bits you can buy, drill slow and use thin oil to lubricate as you’re drilling. If you send me a photo of the broken screws, I may have other suggestions having done that for 32 years when I owned my garage.
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA
Ron, a couple of observations. Pretty clear to me that if you had more tools in there removal would have gone more smoothly. A wise man once said: Always buy at least one new tool when you start a project and you never regret buying a good (read expensive) tool. Projects always go better if you have new tool.
I also now know where I left my Stanley knife. I have been looking for it for some time.
Mark - Yea I’ve been banned from buying any more tools till we can fit at least one car into our two car garage.
Brian - Unfortunately I’m about an hour drive from Soave… so off label use of tools is pretty common.
Today my inland temp was 10ºF in Poughquag. I give myself a day off whenever the high temp for the day is below 25º F… so today I have the day off. Looks like my next day of boat work will be Friday. Winds below 25 knots and temps in the low 30’s.
Hi Rob
Depending on what you find under the mast step casting in the way of compromised plywood, you may be tempted to remove all that you see. At this point, now before you go any further, I might advise to make a locating jig for the mast step. Fasten this jig to bulkheads that are not going to move. This will ensure that if you have to build the floor back up again, you can be assured that the jig will place the step where it should be.
Mike,
Good point ! Easy enough at this point before anything moves.
( HERE ) is a better photo of the casting. The material in the center at the bottom. seems to be the plywood that suggest may be compromised. So far it is passing the scratch and poke test. I’ll have a better look once the casting is out.
The hole in the center appears to be a drain to bilge below the plywood. There was some very light fluffy debris covering but not clogging the drain hole. Eventually it probably would have clogged allowing for moisture accumulate. I mention this for other owners that may not have done a mast inspection in a while. The drain is probably why the plywood is in good shape.
Looks like the casting was planted on a ring of epoxy reinforced with coarse fiber. So far I don’t see evidence that an adhesive was used and it looks like the casing was screwed to level before the epoxy had set. All the bolts were tight, some seemed surprisingly tight. Hence the off label use of my crescent wrench as an extension.
Thanks for watching over my work, and please speak up if you see anything irregular.
I’ll continue to publish pictures to helpfully help any other owners who need to walk the same road.
Thanks,
Rob Cohen
s/v SOAVE
NS33 #009
Westport, CT
I’d take it to a machine shop to drill out. You can mess around with it but cost will be a boat dollar In theory easy but it’s a casting not s block of metal.