Phil O'Donnell
Folsom, CA
Boat Name: Kolea
Model/Year: 1975
Hull No. 4847
Hailing Port: Folsom, CA |
 03/22/2004 9:36 AM Pacific Time
I recently purchased the stainless mast step from CD. It is to replace a home made aluminum one.
When rigged with the old mast step. The mast rests on the step and is held by a 7/16 bolt through the center part of the mast. the bolt also passes through a two inch slug of aluminum in the bottom of the mast.
Now the new CD mast step uses a much smaller 3/16" bolt that looks like it goes through a lateral hole in the aft edge of the mast. I have two concerns. First when I test fit it the mast will not bottom out in the step there is about a 1/4 in of space between the bottom of the mast and the step which means that all the force will be on the 3/16" bolt. The second concern is that the hole in the mast is very close to the bottom. there is less than 1/8" of aluminum from the edge of the whole to the bottom of the mast.
So my two questions: Do your masts have a space between the step when rigged. And what is the distance between your bolt hole and the bottom of the mast.
Thanks in advance. |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
03/22/2004 3:41 PM Pacific Time
Phil - It looks like your mast has been replaced somewhere in the boats history. The standard Catalina 22 mast has a pin thru the aft corner of the mast. Also the aft corner has been chamfered so that it can rotate on the remaining material without raising up as it goes from horizontal to vertical. A lot of people, including myself have removed the aluminum pin that was held in place by a couple of cotter pins and replaced it with a long stainless bolt that goes thru the base of the mast and the slots of the stainless mast step. If your mast is not configured as described above, it is not a standard mast and probably will not work with the CD stainless step.
I will be glad to send you a picture of the bottom of my mast which does work with the CD mast step, if you will send me your EMail address. If you are concerned about someone harvesting it from this forum, spell out the part before the @ with phonetics. |
Phil O'Donnell
Folsom, CA
Boat Name: Kolea
Model/Year: 1975
Hull No. 4847
Hailing Port: Folsom, CA |
03/22/2004 9:25 PM Pacific Time
From your description I do believe that I have an original C22 mast. The oval not the flat sided. It has the hole like you describe in the aft corner and also the aft corner is cut at an angle like you described. The mast fits fine in the CD step and if I align the small holes with the slots in the step the mast is located exactly where it was before. I'm sure the mast step is not original. It looks like someone made a much larger home made step and then put a larger bolt through the center of the mast instead of using the small corner holes.
What I wonder is if the bottom edge of the mast should rest on the mast step or if it is up about a quarter inch.
It would not be difficult to drill a new hole that would let the mast rest on the step. I just don't want to do that if its not needed. I would love to see a photo of yours if you have one. My email address is [email protected] |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
03/23/2004 5:53 AM Pacific Time
Hi Phil - I am glad you have the original mast. However, there is still a problem with the mast step Either the mast is sitting on one of the fastners that hold the mast step to the boat or the slots in the mast step are not cut down far enough in the sides of the mast step. The slots in mine go to about 1/8 inch from the bottom (inside surface) of the mast step.
Another thought. You mentioned an aluminum slug in the base of the mast. Does the slug protrude below the bottom of the mast section? If so, the mast hole would be higher than normal and prevent the mast from bottoming out in the step. The mast step should take the load, not the bolt.
I am sending you some pictures off line of my step and the butt of the mast. |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
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03/24/2004 5:32 AM Pacific Time
I customized my stock step, but you can see the hole slots that Dick is describing at:
http://www.leachs.com/Mastwork.htm
Hope this helps,
Robert |
Bob Keim
Nashville
Boat Name: Pursuit
Model/Year: C22/1976
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Nashville |
03/24/2004 6:31 AM Pacific Time
Has anyone cut out the top of the slots so one doesn't have to bolt and unbolt the pin every time they step and unstep the mast? I have used an aluminum base that was slotted all the way, with no problems. Certainly this SS base is stonger... |
Dick King
Melbourne, FL
Boat Name: Twilight Zone
Model/Year: Sport/2005
Hull No. 15546
Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL |
03/24/2004 6:46 AM Pacific Time
Bob - That sounds like a pretty good idea. With the slots open at the top, you could replace the bolt and nut, with the original pin in the base of the mast and simply place the pin in the slot and raise the mast without having to line up the holes in the mast with the slots in the mast step. Anyone see anything wrong with that approach? |
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03/24/2004 11:58 AM Pacific Time
just my two cents but it seems like it would turn raising the mast into a two person job. One to hold down the bottom of the mast while the other lifts the mast. Am I missing something?
Bob |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
03/24/2004 9:20 PM Pacific Time
Sounds good to me, you would have to check and see if the mast end will miss the bottom of step as it is raised. i think I'll look into that when I get that far.
Al Ge |
Dick Reynolds
Lebanon, Oregon
Boat Name: Catnip
Model/Year: Swing Keel / 1974
Hull No. 4570
Hailing Port: Newport, Oregon |
03/26/2004 5:03 PM Pacific Time
Look at the photograph of Gene's maststep on page 8 of the January issue of the "MainBrace" |
Tim Seifert
Boat Name: Mary's Joy
Model/Year:
Hull No. 8281
Hailing Port: Holyrood, Newfoundland |
04/14/2004 6:57 AM Pacific Time
Hello,
I am wondering if previous owners of my C-22 #8281 have altered the mast step. If I send you a photo, can you tell me if it has been altered, and whether or not it is mounted correctly? How far is the mast step to be from the bow? Alternatively, if you could send me a photo of your mast step, then I can judge. Thanks. |
Kevin and Pat
Miranda, CA
Boat Name: HOPE
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1971
Hull No. #403
Hailing Port: Miranda, CA |
10/12/2005 9:32 PM Pacific Time
We are in a similar situation in regards to the mast step. We have just bought an old boat on a trailer that has been worked on a lot with various upgrades and/or downgrades. We know the former owner installed a used C22 mast (older 25 ft). The mast step is a simple stainless affair with a stern facing drop slot for the mast pin. We have also noticed a pattern on the gel coat that there was once a mast step that was larger that the existing one.
The mast went up easy enough because we followed advice from this forum but the position of the mast to the upper shrouds at the deck level seems a bit odd. Intuitively we feel that base of the mast should be bisected by a line running between the base of the upper shrouds. It does not. The line running between the base of the upper shrouds just touches the forward edge of the mast base so that the upper shrouds, from the spreaders downward, are led a bit forward. Where precisely is the mast base and the mast step supposed to be located, fore and aft? |
winn
Boat Name:
Model/Year: 1970
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
10/13/2005 6:13 AM Pacific Time
kevin and pat
on older c22"s the upper shrouds wer located about 3" in front of the vertical plane of the mast. many of us have moved the chain plates aft of the bulkhead with a spacer (3/4 or 1") behind the stainless angle bracket. this brings the upper shroud in column with the center of the mast.
we have measured many boats and have found that the location of the mast, measured from the forestay pin to the front of the mast, varies about 3" (+ or - 11/2)
also , especially on older boats, the deck under the mast which has a plywood core often compresses due to rotting of the core. the simple fix is to add a piece of wood or plastic under the mast step. (the rules say up to 1") this also helps when the shrouds stretch.
_
|
Kevin and Pat
Miranda, CA
Boat Name: HOPE
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1971
Hull No. #403
Hailing Port: Miranda, CA |
10/13/2005 8:07 PM Pacific Time
Thanks a lot Wnn |
Bob Vick
Caldwell, TX
Boat Name: Over Keel
Model/Year: <1985
Hull No. 13059
Hailing Port: Lake Somerville |
10/14/2005 5:38 AM Pacific Time
"Where precisely is the mast base and the mast step supposed to be located, fore and aft? "
The mast step needs to be directly over the compression post in the cabin. If your deck has compressed, cut out the top of the glass over the ppst & replace the wood down to the compression post.
When I replace the wood under the mast step I inserted a
spline cap nut in the wood so the mast step is bolted down in the fiberglass incapuslated restored mast step base. I added on a 1/2 inch risen flat lip at the mast base to match the deck orginiser plate/mast step.
Anytime you can expand the surface area you are reducing the stress per square inch on the support base.
Cheers,
Bob
|
John Connor
Little Rock, AR
Boat Name: Weekender
Model/Year: C22 1982
Hull No. 11192
Hailing Port: Little Rock, Arkansas |
10/14/2005 7:11 AM Pacific Time
Reading from the top of this thread - Phil mentioned a problem with the CD SS mast step replacement and his mast not touching the deck after he stepped it - leaving a 1/4 inch gap. I have the same situation. I recently replaced my step with the CD one, stepped the mast, and now have a 1/4 inch gap between the mast and the step plate. Is this ok? Should I look at cutting the slot down some?? |
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10/14/2005 10:45 AM Pacific Time
I had an original mast step made of aluminum which was damaged in an aborted single handed mast raising. I purchased a new step from CD and had the same problem with the mast not sitting firmily on the step leaving about 1/4 inch between the mast and the step.
The original mast step had a slot to receive the mast pin. The new CD step has a hold through each side. I liked the slot better so I had a heavy SS mast step fabricated using the old step as a guide. The new one works great. |
Marc Yacht
Hudson, FL
Boat Name: Why Knot
Model/Year: Catalina C 22/'82/swing keel
Hull No. 1076
Hailing Port: Hudson, FL |
04/01/2006 9:07 PM Pacific Time
I am about to replace the aluminum mast step with the new stainless steel one. I have found the discussions helpful. My question is a bit different. I will be trailering my boat and have an excellent trailer. I am looking to find the best way to raise the mast and then ultimately lower it. CD does not have the step up system or the gin pole system in stock at the moment. I will have at least 1 other person with me when doing this. I must say the mast is a bit intimidating. MJY |
Greg Loew
Lorton, VA
Boat Name: Spirit of Calypso
Model/Year: Catalina 25/1984
Hull No. 3710
Hailing Port: Ft. Belvoir, VA |
06/22/2006 4:28 PM Pacific Time
My 1980 mast step is held in place by a lag screw which passes through the mast step, through a hole in the cabin roof, and lengthwise into the teak compression post.... and by a second bolt which passes through the step, the roof, and is secured by a washer and nut. This is about 3 inches in front of the compression post. That gives you a bolt fore and a screw aft.
I didn't like the slots cut into the new stainless mast step because it relies on friction to hold the step in place. It allowed movement side to side. SO I tightened both bolts (screws) tightly. And I promptly stripped the compression post. Luckily I didn't split it too. It occurs to me that if it hadn't stripped, I may well have split the 25 year old wood.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to repair the post? And more importantly, does anyone know how to SOLIDLY affix the mast plate?
Thanks, Greg |
Scott
Portland, OR
Boat Name: Promiseland
Model/Year: C22 Swing Keel/1985
Hull No. 12982
Hailing Port: Tomahawk Bay, Portland OR |
01/06/2007 8:05 PM Pacific Time
Greg, you can use a drill to create a notch in top of the compression post. Create the notch from the forward edge of the post to the middle of the post. Then replace the screw that was screwed into the top of the compression post with a bolt and use a washer and nut on the bolt like the forward bolt and nut used though the front of the mast step. Then when you replace the compression post, slide the bolt and nut through the notch in the top of the post until the post is back in place.
Install two large wood screws that secure the compression post to the bulkhead. My boat has the optional slide out galley on the starboard side so instead of a sink I have a pump-out marine head installed behind a wood wall from the port side of the hull to the center of the compression post. This wall is attached to a smaller post that is next to and parrallel to the compression post and is attached to the same structure that the compression post rests on. So this is what the compression post is screwed to.
My boat came this way when I bought it used, and it seems to work very well.
The notch in the top of my post is about 3/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch wide from the forward side of the post to the center. |
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01/07/2007 9:17 AM Pacific Time
Hello Scott,
Nice advice on the mast step.
Your pumpout marine head sounds interesting. I'd enjoy an opportunity to see your boat. I keep my C22, Crocus, and my C30 Celtic Myst at Tomahawk Bay Moorage, so I'm down at the marina all the time.
I'm also the Fleet Captain for Catalina 22 Fleet 20 in Portland (www.c22pdx.org). Membership is free and the application can be found at the website.
A group of Fleet 20 folks shared breakfast together at Elmer's restaurant yesterday, followed by a visit to West Marine for after holiday sales, and then we headed over to the Portland Boat Show.
You can reach me at celtic-myst("at")comcast.net |
