Scott
Portland, OR
Boat Name: Promiseland
Model/Year: C22 Swing Keel/1985
Hull No. 12982
Hailing Port: Tomahawk Bay, Portland OR |
 01/03/2007 6:40 PM Pacific Time
I removed the mast from my 1985 C22 and discovered the mast step plate wiggles a bit when I jiggle it. Is this normal? I wasn't sure if maybe the plate is designed to have a bit of play, or if I should repair this. Any advice?
Thanks! |
Kent S. Kokko
Roseville, Mn
Boat Name: none
Model/Year: C22 Mark II/ 1999
Hull No. CTYH 5434A999
Hailing Port: White Bear Lake, MN |
01/04/2007 4:57 AM Pacific Time
You did not say what year of Catalina you have. I had the same problem on my '99 mark II. THe forward bolt is accessible, but the aft bolt is not - it is in the compression post. I tried to remove the compression post to get access but was unable.
A year ago I removed the forward bolt, and was able to then remove all the old sealant from underneath by pivoting the step around the aft bolt. I rebedded it was 4200, but after a season of sailing the seal had again broke and was wiggly again.
Before I put it away this past Fall, I drilled trough the step into the deck and installed two ss screws. I think this will do the trick. In the Spring I will remove the screws, bore it out to 1/4", epoxy the larger hole, and redrill. THen I will rebed the step again.
If you have any other questions you can reach me offline at [email protected] |
William Bell
Pt. Orange, FL
Boat Name: Phoenix
Model/Year: 1987 Catalina 22
Hull No. #13784
Hailing Port: Pt. Orange,FL |
01/04/2007 5:45 AM Pacific Time
The mast step should not move. It really doesn't matter what year boat you have, non should move. This is a water leak path and a safety issue. You sure don't want the step to tear loose when you are lowering or raising the mast. Bad juju for sure.
You should be able to remove it, drill the holes a little larger, seal with epoxy, redrill to the right size and reinstall the step in bedding (4200 or equiv.)
Inspect for any rot in the deck. You may need to repair the deck. This is not as bad as it sounds.
Good luck--
Bill |
Scott
Portland, OR
Boat Name: Promiseland
Model/Year: C22 Swing Keel/1985
Hull No. 12982
Hailing Port: Tomahawk Bay, Portland OR |
01/06/2007 8:12 PM Pacific Time
Thanks for the advice, I removed the step plate and discovered there is rot in the wood around the holes. What should I do? Is there a non intrusive way to determine the extent of the rot? How can this be repaired?
I was thinking about cutting throught the top of the deck just enough so I don't cut through the fiberglass ceiling of the cabin, and replacing the rotten areas with good wood. I could epoxy the new wood to the old wood that was still good once the rot is removed, then lay down a fabric and seal it back up with epoxy, is this kind of in line? I would of course then have to install new holes for the step plate bolts. There is also rot around the hole my mast light connector wires go through. |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
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01/07/2007 5:54 PM Pacific Time
Scott,
Is the area dry now? One method of probing is with an L-shaped rod/nail that you insert into the hold and see how much of the edges of the hole is soft. Enlarging the hole under the mast step helps in this phase of your investigation because once you done, you can still drill the hole oversize, fill with epoxy, and then redrill to the correct size. I'm guessing you have an old-style which means the step is through bolts to the cabin top and lagged screwed into the compression post. If the lag screw is no longer getting a good bite you'll need to restore the integrity of the hole in the post. Some have drilled it out and glued in a hardwood dowel and then redrilled for the lag screw. Others have simply used epoxy and then redrilled the hole. In all cases the would and fiberglass need to be dry.
Dale |
frank becker
Ithaca, New York
Boat Name: Tool-N-Around
Model/Year: 1979 Catalina 22
Hull No.
Hailing Port: |
05/30/2009 6:49 AM Pacific Time
I just bought 1979 Catalina 22. The plate under the mast needs to be replaced. Long screw bold used to hold down. Bolts need to be replaced. Fore hole goes through to clear space; aft hole does not. Is this way should be? Are two different length bolts used to attach the plate. What are they screwing into (metal, wood, fiberglass)? thanks. |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
05/31/2009 4:52 AM Pacific Time
The way I was told to fix the problem of deck rot under the mast and what I did was to use a 4" hole drill and drill down to the inner hull and remove all the balsa wood filling. Then replace it with a solid piece of wood, filling the hole with epoxy and coveing with a few layers of glass and epoxy, grinding smooth between each layer. Then redrilling the holes and setting the plate in sealant.
For what it's worth,
Al Ge |
