Mast to Deck Tie Down

[George Foose]

I believe I saw a thread about the function of the interior mast to deck attachment. Would anybody have any idea why mine (attached) has stressed the attachment point so that it is no longer flat? I had the mast removed, rewired and algriped a couple of years ago and have just noyiced that the stainless attachment point has become a bit U shaped. can anyone explian this?

Are the forces that cause this from heavy air or racing? Improperly tuned rig?

Is it relatively normal? Is it a Problem?

Thanks


George

 

[Shadowfax]

Are the forces that cause this from heavy air or racing? Improperly tuned rig?

Probably, my suspicion is more towards improperly tuned rig. Heavy air [real heavy air] and racing [almost the same thing] could do it. I'd retune the rig to see that that is not still the problem



Is it relatively normal? No

Is it a Problem? Yes

 

[Guy Stevens]

Someone overtightened it.

These generally get bent when someone gets zany. Generally it happens this way.

Rig is off, or slack person notes that the deck tie down is loose, they tighten it up till it is really tight. ( I have seen people concave the deck with these things!) Then the tighten the rig, which wants to take the concave curve out of the deck. Then the next thing you know it either bends (Your case). Or it explodes, other cases.

Pull the u bolt plate and replace it, and carefully tune the rig.

Guy

 

[Loren Beach]

Is the outside of the cabin top depressed in that area?
This looks very much like the tie-down used on our '88 Olson 34, with a Kenyon spar.
Guy's advice sounds "right on" as we used to exclaim so long ago in the 60's!

The other interesting observation one can make on a late model Ericson to put your face right down at deck level and sight up the side deck on each side to see if the rigging, when tuned, has pulled any observable convex deck bulge around the rig base U-bolts. A friend noticed this on his E-33, and a local rigger took up on those big solid SS rods inside that carry the rig load down into the inner TAFG.

And: while we are at it: a tip of the ol' Ericson helmet to the experts like Guy that willingly share their hard-won expertise with the rest of us.


...just reading and (slowly) learnin' ...


Loren