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jeffandlori · 19-12-2023, 18:18

I'm looking for a mast step for a 71 Morgan 38. Aside from RigRite and US Spar, are there any other companies that make/sell mast steps?

Bowdrie · 19-12-2023, 18:52

Is the mast in the boat now?
Even if it is it's not hard to make a template of its OD, and finding the wall thickness shouldn't be hard.
With that info and a simple drawing any decent fab shop can make one.
Is there a site/chat room for Morgan owners?

jeffandlori · 20-12-2023, 02:34

The mast is out. The one that was in there was corroded down to nothing, so it is hard to tell how it was designed. It seems to have been a raised plug that went into the inside of the mast, mounted on a plate bolted directly to the top of the keel. If I went with that design, how much clearance should be allowed for the mast to move around?

Benz · 20-12-2023, 03:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffandlori

The mast is out. The one that was in there was corroded down to nothing, so it is hard to tell how it was designed. It seems to have been a raised plug that went into the inside of the mast, mounted on a plate bolted directly to the top of the keel. If I went with that design, how much clearance should be allowed for the mast to move around?

None. It should slip-fit like a bolt in a properly-sized hole does.

Spot · 20-12-2023, 04:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffandlori

The mast is out. The one that was in there was corroded down to nothing, so it is hard to tell how it was designed. It seems to have been a raised plug that went into the inside of the mast, mounted on a plate bolted directly to the top of the keel. If I went with that design, how much clearance should be allowed for the mast to move around?

Pictures of what is remaining would be nice.
I did a mast head for my kid (designed a pattern and cast it in aluminum) so a step does not seem difficult, less fiddly from a pattern standpoint.

MicHughV · 20-12-2023, 05:10

Heck, you can fabricate these things from mild steel or aluminum plate yourself.
Doesn't need to have that oval shape in the middle.
Just lay the outline of the mast on the plate and you can weld or bolt L shaped clips to the plate around the perimeter of your mast outline.

Chotu · 20-12-2023, 05:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Heck, you can fabricate these things from mild steel or aluminum plate yourself.
Doesn't need to have that oval shape in the middle.
Just lay the outline of the mast on the plate and you can weld or bolt L shaped clips to the plate around the perimeter of your mast outline.

Exactly!

This is so much more simple than the thread suggests.

pcmm · 20-12-2023, 05:15

I replaced the main mast step on my Morgan 5 years ago. The original was just a plate of aluminium with a big X welded to it from 3/8x2" Alu bar. Really easy to fabricate and the original was NOT a snug fit there was some play in it so really easy to replicate. The original base was 1/4" ALU plate but the shop I was working with had 3/8 plate in the dimension I needed (not 1/4" so I went with that. Had a local welder zip it together and I spend probably $150 on the project.

BAD ORCA · 20-12-2023, 09:35

I couldn't find any. Oh defiantly avoid working with Rig-Rite. These guys are a bunch of freaking jerks. Tried working with them but they did everything they could to piss me off and avoid getting any sort of a solution from them.

Anyways its very easy to do and not that expensive. I just made one for my friends boat on a desktop CNC at work. I had to do this with the mast installed on the boat. If the mast is off the boat its much easier to do. Just make a tracing or a template as accurately as you can of the inside and outside of the mast, bring that to a machine shop or to someone who can do CNC machining and/or welding. Explain what you want to make and maybe make a simple drawing or bring pictures.

I tried to find someone to weld one together but no machine shop was interested as they were all busy at the time but i think that would be easier and cheaper than CNC machining if you can find someone who will.

I made this one ~2.5" height on the parts that stick up inside the mast. They are about 3/8" thickness and the flat bottom of the base is 3/8" thickness. Added a hole for wires and smaller holes for mounting it to the deck although that wont matter if its keel stepped. Adding a square base instead should be a simple mod that a machine shop can do if you give them min/max measurements of the inside of the bilge. I cant imagine any sailboat needs anything much more complex. Just needs to be beefy enough to not break, tall enough to prevent the mast from hopping off and snug enough to prevent the mast from slipping side to side/fore and aft.

On this step i made the parts that go into the mast about 1/16" oversized and the rigger ground them down slightly on site when he installed it to get it to fit snuggly, but i dont think thats all that important as long as its close. Cant imagine the shape of them is super critical either, cross beam style, X, etc...just be sure any welds on the outside perimeter of the internal structure have a small radius so the dont prevent the mast from sitting flush on the base of the step.

We used a chunk of marine grade 6061 aluminum from McMaster-Carr. The original was aluminum as well and lasted well over 30 years. Synthetic G-10 or stainless are options some people use because they are not as affected by corrosion but would be much more expensive. Aluminum would be the least expensive i think and still last a very long time.

Bowdrie · 20-12-2023, 10:01

OP, the 2nd pic above by Bad Orca is a good rendition.
A little file work to fit the mast curve and no sharp edges.
Make sure that no water can sit anywhere inside.
If bolt holes for the step are outside of the mast, (a very good idea,) then it can be beneficial to slot those holes.
I see your boat has a keel stepped mast?
The slots allow some rake adjustment while still keeping the mast in the center of hole thru the overhead.
For your size/weight boat I would make the base plate of 1/2in. and the internal parts at least 3/8ths.

MicHughV · 20-12-2023, 11:23

Alum is so easy to work with. Even places like Home Depot carry the stuff.
You can cut it with a band saw if you put in the appropriate band.
If you don't have the welding equipment, you can bolt or use machine screws to attach shapes similar to the 2nd photo above.

Test fit the plate to your mast before installing it on your boat. Make any final adjustments or modifications at this point.

If you are simply unable to fabricate such a thing, search out some fab shops in your area. A good craftsman can bang it out in two hours or less.

jeffandlori · 20-12-2023, 12:01

Thanks for all the great replies, they make me understand that I am probably overthinking it. Two follow ups:

How far up in the mast should the plug go?

How many bolts of what size and material (assuming I use aluminum)?

Spot · 20-12-2023, 14:23

Fun thread and many solutions to the problem!

Here is a version that could be made with a drill and a jigsaw where the bars interlock and go into the cross-shaped slot in the plate, then get welded.

pcmm · 20-12-2023, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spot

Fun thread and many solutions to the problem!

Here is a version that could be made with a drill and a jigsaw where the bars interlock and go into the cross-shaped slot in the plate, then get welded.

That is litterally how I built mine (minus the routed slots, its just not needed)