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E29 Masthead Replacement

supersailor

Contributing Partner
Our club's E29 has had a masthead failure. It appears that the masthead is pretty well corroded out. Does anyone have experience with replacing it?
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
I got two pics from our Rear Commodore, Ericka. They aren't the greatest but pics are interesting to take when swinging at the top of the mast.

It appears that it is welded on. The fix that I think I would envision is to make a pair of cheeks that could be bolted on over the existing plates. This is an old Club boat that won't be around forever and won't get a high budget for repairs.20190723_133109.jpg20190723_133113.jpg
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Yikes. Forestay toggle pulled out? I'd concur with adding side-plates to reinforce, or maybe a whole inverted U-shaped channel to fit over the top (i.e. replace that bolt-on spinnaker crane as well.) But a welder might have different ideas.
I've just been looking at mine and it seems that the halyard sheave pins have "enlarged" their holes a bit, but the toggles mostly look OK. Every place with stainless through-bolts has some corrosion though. I tidied it up as best I could with tef-gel and scotchrap, but 48 years worth of damage has been done.
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi Bob,

I had that same failure on my E27, pretty exciting! Todd's suggestion of side plates is the route I took for repair. I used 6061 t6 1/4" (maybe 3/16") aluminum plate for the cheeks and epoxied them to the old cheeks. There are quite a few bolts running through the plates so the epoxy is probably not necessary but it made for a cleaner finished product. I will try to find some photos. If anyone has the same masthead I highly recommend checking it for hole elongation and corrosion thinning.
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
Thanks Mark. I'll pass this on to the people taking care of the problem. Toddster had already pointed they way to get started. I like the idea of using epoxy. even if it dosen't add strength, it fills all the little corrosion holes that trap moisture. Right now I can't shimmy up and check it myself. All my doctors would have a collective heart attack.
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
Hi Bob,

I don't think you would want to climb the mast without the fore stay, doctor prescribed or not!
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
There are a lot of pins going through the masthead, but only one through-bolt. And if you tighten it too much, it pinches the sheaves. (Guess how I know?)

Epoxy seems like a good idea, though one could probably find places to drive in some self-tapping screws, if they didn’t interfere with the toggles or sheaves.

Speaking of which, looks like I’m headed back up the mast again this week - the wind instrument has assumed a decidedly cock-eyed attitude. Apparently something wrong with one of the mounting screws. I just wish I had noticed it before the daily 30-knot winds came back. (The only two days of the summer without big winds were last weekend, when people came to town for the “Double Dammed Race,” which they actually cancelled for lack of wind. Last night’s club race appeared to be cancelled for too much wind.)
 

toddster

Curator of Broken Parts
Blogs Author
Hi Bob,

I don't think you would want to climb the mast without the fore stay, doctor prescribed or not!

Sure, you just take up the tension with a halyard on a bow cleat. How do you think they install roller furlers? At least, that’s how I did it, and IIRC, I was just following the directions.

Well, but obviously not if you want to disassemble the masthead. Typed without thinking...
 
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supersailor

Contributing Partner
I am comfortable with the halyard solution as a temporary solution but I always used two halyards and tied them with a bowline reather than useing the snap shackle or shackle at the end. I know they held my sails up but now they would be holding me up. On my boat that's about a 50 foot fall. Outch!!! It's only about a 35 foot fall on the 29 so no big deal (Ouch!!!!). I'm assuming A halyard is replacing the foestay and enough halyards are available I'm not sure I'd like the luff of the genny supporting everything.

Anyway, The club has a date, Sept 3, to use a crane and pull the mast for repair. The rest of everything up there can be checked at the same time and maybe the mast refinished.

Thanks everyone. The project is finally underway.
 

Mark F

Contributing Partner
Blogs Author
I could not find my “in progress”’photos of the masthead repair but had the mast lowered for some bulb replacement and took some photos. I think the aluminum is T6 6061 and 1/4” thick.
 

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