Major deck failure - mast tube collapsed

Marcov67

Marcov67

New Member
Hello,
This is an old Sunfish (1974); I bought it second had, sailed a few times until yesterday under moderate wind conditions (15-16 knots), on close reach, the mast suddenly collapsed into the deck.. as shown in the photos.
I am new to sailing but this did not happen under any special circumstances, of wind or rough waters. Could have resulted from me doing something wrong during rigging up of the mast, or it's just due to the old age of the boat? Do you think it is repairable? Thanks for the comments!

Marco
 

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Looks like the step tube failed at the lower end, then the flailing wind-driven rig above caused further damage to the deck... same thing happened to my Laser, only it didn't quite tear up the deck so badly. Yes, it can be repaired, and no, you are not necessarily at fault, these things happen aboard older boats which have seen plenty of use. First order of the day will be to install an inspection port where it'll do the most good as you repair the step & deck... BTW, is your splashguard mounted incorrectly? Maybe it's just a weird camera angle, but it looks cattywampus, or improperly aligned. If so, you should also fix that while you're at it... deck fittings can be removed and/or relocated during this whole process as well (if necessary, or if you'd rather put them in better position). Just my $.02, but I've seen this sort of damage before... :confused:
 
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Don't feel bad about your "older" Sunfish. The newest Sunfish ($5500 in 2020) are doing the same thing--with less wind! :confused:

Of my five present Sunfish, one "took it on the chin" with a downburst "cell" that shredded the sail and broke the mast. MPH? About 80! :eek: No mast step damage.

Later Sunfish reinforced the mast, but I haven't seen reports such as this one. Usually, the mast breaks first. ($150). Is your mast one of the newer masts--with an internal reinforcement?

Is it possible there was an obstruction in the mast step? Something lodged as small as a "lost" golf ball :rolleyes: would increase the mast's leverage on the deck.

I may have suggested this repair before: cut the mast step tube out entirely--top and bottom. It's going to take a lot of hand-fitting to get it "right"--but both surfaces will be stronger for the effort--with a minor gain in weight.
 
If you're gonna repair it yourself---and it's not that difficult once you cut a hole for the inspection port---by all means, beef up the step at both ends of the tube so it'll be stronger than ever. The slight weight gain will be worth it. Be sure to check all of the surrounding deck from inside the hull, using a flashlight and small compact mirror... there may be stress cracks on the underside, as a flailing rig tends to make the deck flex hard in many directions. In your photos, there almost appears to be some damage to the side which remains 'intact'---might be from a previous repair too, go ahead and check it thoroughly, aye? Oh, yeah, when you cut the correctly-sized hole for your inspection port, don't install the actual port until AFTER you are finished with all repairs, that way you'll have a slightly larger hole through which you can move your arm & your repair materials more freely, and have a little more range of motion as well. You can sand & tape the edge of the cut hole so it doesn't scratch up your arm as you knock out the work... don't ask me how I know this. ;)

P.S. When I say "flashlight" I don't mean the conventional kind... Harbor Freight used to make the LED light seen below, more of a utility light, and even though it was a freebie with some HF coupon, over the years I've found this light to be quite useful for boat work, checking under the hood of a vehicle after dark, etc. The light is very well-designed, you can lay it flat on its back (or up on one side) to illuminate the entire inside of the hull, you can hang it under a vehicle hood using the little plastic hook recessed into the back, it even has a magnet for attachment to metal surfaces... not a bad little piece of equipment, and I'm no friggin' shill for Harbor Freight either, LOL. Meh, here's the utility light or lamp, it's my go-to light for just about everything now, unless I know I'm gonna need a headlamp. Here it is:

IMG_1189.JPG

IMG_1188.JPG


You can see how the case or cover is starting to get scuffed up, as I use this thing quite often. Since it is fairly small, it easily fits through a hole cut in the deck of any boat, and the broad side or bank of LEDs is nice & bright... there's also a smaller cluster of LEDs at one end which produces a narrower beam, guess I failed to catch that in the pics, LOL. ***"YOU'RE FIRED!!!"*** Meh, it's a decent little light, whenever it dies I'll go to the trouble of ordering a couple more from HF, aye? :rolleyes:
 
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L&VW said:
The newest Sunfish ($5500 in 2020) are doing the same thing--with less wind! :confused:
Click to expand...

I don’t know ‘bout that - I’ve only heard of cracked decks.

I do agree an obstruction at the bottom of the mast step would make this sort of failure much more likely.
 
Two Bonaire Sunfish showed cracks adjacent to the mast step, consistent with a hard-driven mast.

1607197605379.png


2019 Sunfish Worlds boat: deck failure

I purchased a 2020 event boat, and had it shipped. Boat arrived in great shape except for a gauge in the bottom from the mast. I fixed this myself and went on. The boat arrived in the winter and was washed, waxed and put in storage. I pulled the boat out this week, and the deck around the...
sailingforums.com sailingforums.com

'Course, the obstruction could have been some misplaced common critter found near shorelines. :rolleyes:
 
L&VW said:
Two Bonaire Sunfish showed cracks adjacent to the mast step, consistent with a hard-driven mast.

View attachment 42908

2019 Sunfish Worlds boat: deck failure

I purchased a 2020 event boat, and had it shipped. Boat arrived in great shape except for a gauge in the bottom from the mast. I fixed this myself and went on. The boat arrived in the winter and was washed, waxed and put in storage. I pulled the boat out this week, and the deck around the...
sailingforums.com sailingforums.com

'Course, the obstruction could have been some misplaced common critter found near shorelines. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Those are hardly full deck collapses as in these case of this poster.
 
By golly, you're right! :confused:

Looking more closely, the mast tube itself seems to be missing: Like the bow handle and splashguard, some repair shortcuts could've been made! :(

Marcov67, the below photograph shows the standard Sunfish fiberglass tube between deck and hull bottom. Is any part of it missing?

P8260064-002.JPG
 
L&VW said:
...consistent with a hard-driven mast.
Click to expand...

"Consistent with a hard-driven mast." Damn, that's a salty phrase right there, LOL... "ARRRRRRRR!!!" :confused:

I reckon defects from the boat builders are fairly rare, but damage to boats which have been in service for awhile is fairly common. :(

It'll be interesting to see Marco's photographs of the step once he cuts that hole for the inspection port... my money says the tube is fractured and separated at the lower end, while the deck surrounding the mast step probably has some stress cracks, even on the 'intact' side, LOL. :eek:

I have an "Internet C-note" to back my claim, in case anybody cares to wager... the good thing about "Internet C-notes" is that ya never have to actually pay out, though ya might lose a little gambling cred on the web, LOL... :D

Well, I reckon it's almost entertainment time, I watched the rest of that cheesy 'KRAKEN: TENTACLES OF THE DEEP' flick last night, and boy howdy, it really STUNK... no Academy Award winner, that's for GODDAM sure, but I was drunk enough to choke it down with a sneer & guffaw or two, LOL. :rolleyes:

Meh, WTF, the price of admission was right, it being a free library DVD "rental" and all... had I paid good money to see this flick, I would've felt ripped off, LOL, but since it cost me nothing but time, well, I just viewed it as an unintentional comedy. The cheesy "giant squid" shots were actually pretty funny... ;)

Alright, youse nautical hee-roes, keep up the good work!!! I'm back to the fridge for another cold one, then off to my home theater to see what's available on my Roku Streaming Stick tonight... at some point, once I'm hungry enough, I'll raid the fridge for some killer grinds. But first, more beer, LOL. CHEERS!!! :cool:
 
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Based on the compound around the mast and the misalignment of the halyard cleat and non OEM halyard fairlead there has been a repair there before, evidently a poor one.

Yes it is possible to repair, extensive, but yes.
 
SC's keen eye also notices what looks like a cheesy repair at some point in the past, LOL... :eek:

Boy, this light-stringing has gotten more complicated over the years, or else I'm a bit rusty, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! ;)

I think my neighbors up and down the hill have outdone me in the light department, but mine are still cheerful, so I'm good to go, LOL... :rolleyes:

Didn't even get to the bar yet, I may run down and see what kind of lights WallyWorld has for sale, I'd like some new strings for the bar... :D

You suppose Dollar General & Dollar Tree sell lights? We have those stores in town also, don't wanna run clear to the Depot in Sierra Vista... :confused:

I guess I'll call 'em in the morning, I have some colored lights but the strings are old and they act funny... like they're possessed by spirits, LOL. :(

Oh, well, it was an enjoyable session, haven't messed with lights since Show Low... had it going on there in my forest home, light setup was primo! :cool:

P.S. Found some tombstone "rubbings" me dear beloved & departed mum made in a cemetery long ago... these are rubbings of the headstones of my ancestors on me mum's side, and they are totally f#%ng cool, they're going up on a wall in this man cave, PRONTO. :)

We have one rubbing which reads: Hugh Johnson, Born Apr. 2, 1801, White (or Whitley) Co. Kentucky (can't make it out), Died May 25, 1870

The other rubbing reads: M. Johnson, Born Mar. 29, 1828, Died Apr. 9, 1915, Native of Kentucky

And below M. Johnson's epitaph, on the same headstone: Sarah Jane, Wife of M. Johnson, Born Apr. 8, 1836, Died June 18, 1899

HOW COOL ARE THESE RUBBINGS? I'LL POST PICS ONCE I PUT 'EM UP ON A WALL... SARAH JANE WAS BORN RIGHT AFTER THE ALAMO SIEGE!!! AND HUGH WAS BORN WHEN JEFFERSON WAS IN OFFICE!!! TOO DAMNED COOL!!! :cool:
 
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Cactus Cowboy said:
Meh, here's the utility light or lamp, it's my go-to light for just about everything now, unless I know I'm gonna need a headlamp. Here it is:

View attachment 42906
View attachment 42907

You can see how the case or cover is starting to get scuffed up, as I use this thing quite often. Since it is fairly small, it easily fits through a hole cut in the deck of any boat, and the broad side or bank of LEDs is nice & bright... there's also a smaller cluster of LEDs at one end which produces a narrower beam, guess I failed to catch that in the pics, LOL. ***"YOU'RE FIRED!!!"*** Meh, it's a decent little light, whenever it dies I'll go to the trouble of ordering a couple more from HF, aye? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Great little light. :)

On one of mine, removing four tiny screws will take it apart to disclose three AAA batteries—should the light dim. (Which takes a very long time!) :cool:

Back to the topic of a broken mast step:

Here's what the mast step looked like at the factory. Note that there are six Styrofoam blocks supporting the deck.

2013 Sunfish opened no deck.jpg
 
I copy that, I've already changed batteries at least once... and it IS a handy little light. ;)

Nice shot of the Sunfish under construction!!! Great photo, I love pics like that which show how it's done!!! :rolleyes:

Cue the Jerry Reed line!!! "SON!!! GOOD JOB!!!" :cool:
 
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