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Why did Ericson switch to keel-stepped masts?

sgwright67

Member III
It seems that most Ericsons before TAFG used deck-stepped masts with compression posts, but the introduction of TAFG designs also brought with them keel-stepped masts, and it seems, a larger focus on performance. Was this mainly for rigidity and performance, or were there other reasons?

For those of you in BC and the PNW, how much rainwater enters the bilge via the mast?

edit: although I did search before posting this, I didn't find much until several threads appeared *after* my new post. This one seems to address my questions...

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?3706-Deck-stepped-vs-keel-stepped-mast

Ok, after reading that thread, I still have a few questions. Frank covered most of the points (except water intrusion and heat loss in cold/wet climates), but I know of *many* offshore boats with deck stepped masts, so the offshore safety theory doesn't seem all that convincing. So far, I've seen both good and bad implementations of each.
 
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Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Whither the Spar

Reply #8 in your referenced thread covers the differences pretty well.
(IMHO)

I would note also that there is no inherent difference in strength for sailing the boat -- whether keel stepped or deck stepped, the spar section and the inside support must be engineered for the task.
Example: I know of many Cascade's, all with deck stepped spars that have crossed oceans with nary a problem. That's because the designer, Robert Smith, NA, did a proper job. Then the builder actually followed his scantlings.

In general, the keel stepped spar and accompanying rigging will be llighter. i.e. the wall section will be a bit thinner. That's simplifying it too much, really... since a highly designed spar may also have varying thickness in all four sides.

EY was building and selling into a market that demanded performance as well as full-on cruising interiors. From lighter rigs to lighter and stronger "grid" interior skeletons, they put more money and engineering into their boats. My guess is that they wanted to pair up the potential sailing advantages of an external lead fin with the higher-performance spar system.... going into the 80's.

That is just my speculation, and worth 2 cents on some days. :)

Edit to add: any boat with a keel stepped spar, regardless of make, will have some rain water delivered down into the bilge. More when we have sideways winds driving the rain. Having more spreaders and lots of halyard exits also provides some more places for rain to sneak in.
In a rainy winter, I use a turkey baster (!) to clean out our shallow bilge once a week. :)
 
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