broke my mast step :(

H2oPaul

New Member
:( ok, i gues it was my turn to brake something. I was sailing hard for hrs, on 35 mph winds with gust. after I loaded the boat on the trailer I saw that inside the mast step hole, about 3/4" down the hole, there was a crack all the way round. got home and took a better look. from the mast step back past the splash gard, the top of the boat is a little soft, almost like its coming loos from the foam blocks, I can lift from the little block for the main sheet that sets next to the mast step and see the deck coming apart from the rest of the boat, only a little but there is a worry that it could get worst. It would seem that the mast step holds a big part of the top deck in place. now that its cracked all the way round Im not sure if I should go out sailing in it, i dont want to brake it worst. I did my reading last nigh here to find out everything I could on this type of problem. I understand that with a cuple of 6" port holes I could reglass the mast step erea. Im wondring if just epoxy glass work well be all I need to make sure the top of the hull does not come loos any worst. when i turn the boat upside down to do some of the work on it as I read i should do . well I simply lay some fiberglass on the mast step and work it into the top of the hull? well this be all I need for it to hold the top of the deck to the rest of the boat? is there a proper way to do this right the first time? is there a spesific glass cloth thats better? I plan to sail this fish for years to come, and plan to sail it hard, but so far where I live in Utah there is no sunfish races that I know of. Is there some option to add a outer aluminum sleav to the mast step? just a thought. any information would help a ton... thanks ahead of time :D Paul
 
I bought a 6" port. I cut the hole. took some foam that was around the mast step. sanded everything so i get a good bond. I bought west system epoxy and hardner. I dont know how to flip the boat up side down correctly. and if i do that Im not sure how to apply pressure on the top of the hull to join it with the mast step. I realy dont want to do this more then ones if I dont have to. so I dont know where to start with the glassing. I dont have alot of room round the mast step do to alot of yellow expanding foam. how much foam should i remuve? how much glass should I use? pls help beffore I make a mistake. thinking about glassing this after noon. maybe round 6 pm or so. :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
 
I epoxy glassed the mast step last night and seems to be strong, but prolly wont know tell I take the boat out on monday for a try. Thanks alot for your Help Catya :) :D :)
 

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