stepmast/ispection port

Ok finally got brave and cut hole for inspection port here are some pictures of what I found. The plastic parts I'm assumming were the old floatation shells (76 boat). The mast has pinhole leaks in it which you cannot see. What you can see is a crack on the doughnut. Qusestion should I just glass the thing form top to bottom and around the doughnut? Here is where you can see the pictures http://photos.yahoo.com/[email protected].
 
The base looks really solid, especially for a boat that age. The 76 I have, pieces of the donut had broken off and fallen out.

Where are the pinholes - in the tube or right down on the bottom of the step ? If it's the bottom of the step, I would check to see if I had enough distance to pour a new step, that normally would be all that's needed. If the pinholes are higher up in the tube, a patch of mat should do the trick

If you want a little insurance against the donut falling apart, glass in a layer or two of mat around the tube and mast base area.
 
The pin holes are about half way down the tube on the inside of the tube. So I was thinking I would try to fill them some how inside and then wrap the entire outside of the tube down and over the doughnut too.
 
Hey what about this metal disk stuff should I try to get one of those and place it in the step too? I will have to order cubitainers since I see no floatation. I guess I will have to cut a port in the back too to place some back there, I'm guessing if they disintagrated in the front they are prob gone in the back. Is there an exact placement of the floats? I know that there should be 3 10liters in the front and 3 20 in the back but I have never seen anything written about placement.
 
Also have one more question the transom # appears to be ZFS334830376 I understand that the ZFS is Point Claire,Quebec Is the sail # 33483 and then the 0376 March 1976?
 
Correct on the decoding.

Regarding the cubitainers - no exact placement, they shift around. It's possible that they all ended up behind the cockpit. A rear port is a good idea though so you can thru bolt the rear hiking strap eyes and other fittings back there. (I don't think the cubitainers disintegrate - they have been known to be cut up and removed)

The pin holes on the tube: It's going to be a PIA to try and get them on the inside of the tube. If it were me, I would just wrap the outside with mat and not worry about the inside.

Metal disk in the step - Start by checking the depth, if you have enough height to work with, then the disk is a nice way to fix the problem of grinding thru the bottom of the step once and for all, otherwise, repouring the step with resin will last a long time especially if you make sure you keep sand/dirt out of the step
 
Step mast is 14" deep. I don't think previous owner put metal disk in so maybe I'll drop a magnet in first and see if I feel anything. Was thinking of putting some silicone seal on like a cake batter stirr and sliding it around the inside of the mast to fill the holes and then glassing the outside. Did the 76 boats have cubitainers for floatation? I wonder why the pieces were shredded. I guess after knocking around after all those years they can just wear out.
 
My old boat ('77) came with cubes. Based on your pics, yours came with cubes (the very old boats had foam blocks wrapped in garbage bag plastic) The cubes are pretty tough, I have seen them get pin hole leaks or leaks around the neck, but they don't shread like your pics show. Does your boat have any other inspection ports ? If so, I would say that one was cut up by hands - if no other ports, well that's a good mystery.

My old boat's step is currently 14" - that's after a pouring a new step a couple of years ago. That distance seems to be the norm for the old boats.

If you fill your step with water, does it all drain out (indicating a leak right down at the step) ?

The silicone sealant on the inside of the tube will most likely be worn off by the mast rotating.
 
There were no other port holes, so the human hand thing is an impossiability. I am going to cut one in the back to see whats back there. My only guess is when the boat was upgraded the screws for the blocks put a hole in the cubes and after rolling around were shredded. I can feel the screws by the step so before new cubes are installed I will have to do something with the tips. The mast step slow leaks but holds at the bottom that is why I think it is the pin holes. I am going to try to fill them from the inside retest so I know for sure. I am still going to reglass the outside of the step.
 
Hi,

For the rear port, I'd stay off centerline, as it's not flat there. One of your pics shows the wood beam under the c-ham fittings, so you never want to cut on the centerline for a mid boat port.

Shine a bright light down the step tube, then photograph again. The pinholes may show. One wrap of glass will seal the tube, wrapped outside the tube, (inside the hull). Forget silicone.

I'd knock lightly on the donut foam, to see if it breaks off. Some are so brittle that it all falls out, which is good, as then you can easily replace it with WEST. Actually, for a boat with no ports, that step/donut/bilge looks really good. If the depth is exactly 14", then I'd put in a thin disk. Don't worry if there ends up having two. (BTW stainless steel is not magnetic)

The rotten cubitainers is a new one to me. There must be another hundred pieces in there somewhere? The screws aren't the problem, as we all have those.

Al Russell 182797
 
So where exactly should I place the aft port or do you think I could put it in the cockpit and still be able to reach in to place the cubes in the rear
 
You don't want it on the cockpit wall - too easy to smash it with your foot.

I would put on the aft deck, just off centerline - you want to go halfway between transom and cockpit so that you can thru bolt rudder fittings and hiking strap eyes and possibly the trav eyes (I don't recall if there is space on the inside trav eye for a washer/nut or not, if there is, you want to thru bolt that as well)
 
Ok just figured out I think I have a crack in the bottom of the mast step because when I poured water in (with the port in so I can semi see and feel) water was seeping out down by the doughnut. I guess? I need to try to chip or remove doughnut fill with resin and reglass. I am also going to have to seal the inside bottom of mast. Should I put resin in then 5200 with a metal disk? Also does anyone know how many cubes were in a 76 boat I know for sure I have 2 shredded ones.
 
If the water drained all the way down to the bottom of the step (ie no water was left in the tube) then yes, you have to pour a new step. I would do this first before moving on to dealing with the donut. Search the threads here, it's been explained. Shine a light from inside the boat on the tube so you can see from looking down the tube how much you have poured in - expect that some will ooze out in the donut area. The few that I have done I have had to raise the step approx 1/4" to seal the leak and have enough "meat" in the step to last a long time. Adding the disk at this point is optional. No right or wrong answer


As far as chipping out the existing donut, re-read what Al said above - if it's solid, I wouldn't go chipping it out, just making more work for yourself. If you are wrapping the outside the tube with mat to seal the pinholes, just continue down the tube right down to hull (you'll have to cut the mat to spread out over the base and lay flat) and then one additonal layer of mat over the base and up the tube and inch or two.

This gives you the cube answers
http://www.apsltd.com/Tree/d90000/e88560.asp
 
49208 I know how many cubes are supposed to be there now but I was just wondering if in the older boats ie 76 if there were fewer or the same as now.
 
I also had distintegrating "cubitainers" in my 88 boat, which I've owned since new. However I think it was just the 2 (maybe 3) that were rolling around near the bow that were affected.

There are also 2 or 3 containers trapped behind the cockpit that appear to be intact, as far as I can tell by peeking through the drainhole in bright sunlight. (Someone who has installed a rear inspection port may know how many and what size are actually there.) I think the larger containers are 20 litres and the smaller ones 10 litres. This thread has more info:

http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=1420&highlight=cubitainer

I think you're right about the containers being shredded just by moving around and cutting themselves on screws, maybe loose glass fibres etc.

My boat was built with an inspection port on the starboard side of the centreboard case, so I was able to pull loose bits of container out as you have done. I then ordered some replacement containers. These can easily fit through the port and then inflated, just like blowing up a balloon. The above thread mentions that they should NOT be inflated under high pressure.

- Peter
 
jwisenb495 said:
49208 I know how many cubes are supposed to be there now but I was just wondering if in the older boats ie 76 if there were fewer or the same as now.

Same boat, same # of cubes.

Their sole purpose is to keep the boat afloat in the event of a hole.
 
Thanks Peter I am going to try to look through the drain plug before cutting another port. I might try to attach my camera to something and put it on auto timer and see what I can see.
 

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