Mast stuck in socket

T

triggs

New Member
Any suggestions on getting a lower mast section out of a tight socket. Could be debris but not sure why it will not come out. It will turn but it is tight. We have tried cornoil, soap/water, boiling water and nothing has helped. Ideas, or a safe way to "jack" it out?

Thanks, Tom Riggs
 
Hey it worked (with a little help from my ford expedition jack to get it started, but the cold water did do the trick. Thanks!!!!!!!!!
 
There is a hole in the plastic plug that is at the bottom of the mast.

Perhaps if you stuff a hose inside the mast and pack towels around that hose you can run water and push the mast out from the bottom.

There will be water squirting from the gooseneck and van rivet holes but they could always use a good flushing anyway.

also, if the problem is debris, flushing with a hose may drive the debris out.

I worry that if you simply pull the mast out and the cause of the problem is a pebble...you will crunch that pebble through the side wall of the mast socket and have a difficult repair as a reault.

My solution..

1. try squirting a hose all around the mast tube in the small space.between the mast and the fiberglas tube.

2. try the hose inside the mast with towells.

3. Find a source of powerful compressed air and try to blow the adjacent junk out...only works if junk is the problem,. Do not stick the air hose inside the mast as it bay blow out with force...like a spear...not good!!

4. try a powerwasher wand like at a car wash. Presure washer solution to be tried OUTSIDE THE ALUMINUM next to the fiberglass...NOT INSIDE!!! bad things could hapenn with all that pressure.
%. failign all that...you will have to twist an turn and pull the mast out.

Qusetion..How new is the boat?? Is this a new problem? Did it develop over time?? Was it sticky before it became stuck??Did you ahve some difficulty taking the mast out before but this time things got absurd?
Do you have anything like bushing tape in that step?
maybe if we knew more we could be more helpful.

or not...never know.

If you come to Austin for the easter regatta, i will get the mast out of the tube for you
 
Thanks for all of your ideas. It is 1999 laser and I just bought it and was de-rigging it for the first time. So it may happen again and I may need some of thse ideas in the future. The cold water and a little "jack" from my tire jack just to get it started got it out.
Is there some preventive measure you could suggest I take when I re-stab it tomorrow so that it doesn't happen again?

Austin would be tough as I am 7000 miles away in Dubai, United Arab Emirates but I wish I could be there!

Thanks,

Tom Riggs
 
Pretty warm in Dubai :) Could it be so warm that the mast is expanding ?
Follow Gov's suggestion for making sure the mast tube (the boat part) is free of debris

Might also want to check the bottom of the mast, it's got that plastic insert riveted onto the mast. If the plastic insert is able to wiggle around, it could be getting wedged when trying to remove the mast - re-rivet if nec to keep it from moving
 
The reason for the when was it made question>>>

There were some boats built with slightly skinny mast tubes.

I believe I know exactly why but I also don't want to make anybody mad at me...
Note also: I have seen the problem once on A boat whose number was in the 148000 series.
I have seen the problem on six or seven boats of about 30 boats that were all brand new for one event.
In every case our builder was very willing to correct the problem.

My point...If your lower mast section does not fit properly in the hole, the plastic tube may be screwed up.

The ones I have fixed were all the same. Re stated..they were all wrong in exactly the same way.

How to tell:

Place your lower section in the mast step and pull it straight aft. If the center of the back of the mast is the first vertical line of contact, your mast step is normal. if the mast hits on two vertical lines spaced about 3 cm apart, your mast tube may be screwed up.
The two impact lines pinch and hold the mast and , unless you repair the tube, the gooseneck will likely break off.

I have repaired the half dozen boats I have repaired by wrapping sticky backed 40 grit sandpaper around a pipe and sanding until the mast truned freely.

When the boats wwere event boats, I left them that way and I assume someone else repaired them the rest of the way later.
For the "customer" boat I sanded a litt;le extra with the 4 grit, gelcoated the tube and polished it out as new.

The repaired customer boat, now about 15 years old, is still sailing with no further repair.
 
mine became stuck after i applied the new teflon wear strips and i used one of those pipe wrenches with the rubber banding, turned the boat on it's side and twisted it out.the wrench works great and dosn't scratch up the mast any.
 
The Teflon wear strips should fit easily in the mast step. The purpose of the strips is dual:
a. less wear on the fiberglass
b. slippery freedom to turn.

If your mast needs a pipe wrench on some occasions, you are using the little shaft of the gooseneck to turn the mast the rest of the time.

Broken goosenecks are no fun.

I really think you should solve that tightness problem before it ruins an otherwise fun sailing day...or an entire weekend
 
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