The Contessa Corner — Deck compression from mast

Re: Deck compression from mast

null@example.com (MaritimeLyon) — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 18:48:58 +0000

Re: Deck compression from mast

null@example.com (stefan_d) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 05:01:12 +0000

on the earlier boats, the two 2x2 teak posts were cut off at 45deg on the bottom, and rested on the angled sections of the floor liner - leaving only the mast support beam to take up the compressive loads of the mast. the bulkheads didnt really fit all that well either. it would seem that in later boats the posts are cut off square and sit on blocks on the floor, or a similar setup that will not slide out when loaded. the liner was craked at the top where the posts touched, so i cut the liner away, filled the holed up with glass. layer after layer, until it was flush with the cabin ceiling, and then faired it all. then i made blocks and glassed them to the floor, and then cut the teak posts until they fit snug, and will now act as compression posts. sorry no pics on the website yet.

people seem so obsessed about beefing up the mast support beam, when all thats needed is some way to transfer compressive load from the mast step to the floor/hull. the later boats apparently have better fitting bulkheads that are gooped in with some sort of rigid putty all around. beefing up the mast support beam masks the problem, but doesn;t really solve it.

Deck compression from mast

null@example.com (svsilentsun) — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:12:04 +0000

The PO did some strange stuff, as they all do, but we're discovering what the kitty litter non-skid was hiding. Apparently everything on the coach roof aft of the mast was reglassed. It's a little ugly but sturdy. No idea why but guessing delam. Inside, the liner 'bar' under the mast has a crack the entire length of it and there's a mahogany cross piece that's been installed atop the bulkhead trim pieces. The strange thing is the cross piece doesn't actually touch the overhead - there's about 1/2" of space that has been filled with a couple chunks of wood and some thickened epoxy. He also added three stringers to the overhead.

The rigging is original and has little room left to tighten. It's undoubtedly stretched but we're worried that it's more than that. There is a slight indentation at the mast step that seems to indicate compression, and the crack seems like a symptom as well. But did the PO's 'fix' fix the problem? We're hoping experienced CO owners could give us their opinions.

See our blog for the photos.