Fabricating Mast Step

[county]

I am switching out my wood mast for an aluminum one and will be fabricating a mast step, does anyone have any insight on how tight the step should fit into the base of the mast? Also any other information regarding fabricating a mast step would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Nicholson58]

Mine is keel stepped. The cup in which the mast sets is tight. It in turn, rests on the rigid structure and they are bolted together on fore-aft slotted holes so the cup can be positioned and then tightly bolted.

From our experience also, consider making the system with containment for the water that comes down the inside of the mast. It should have a drain to a sump with float switch & pump-out. Our in-mast furling and many halyards puts water in the bilge despite the dam & deflector/drain below the boom level.

[Hudson Force]

My main is stepped on the keel within a "cup" and the mizzen is stepped in a similar manner, but onto a male plug that the mast base surrounds. I don't see an advantage to either method and mine have given me no problems. I agree with the concern to drain water; however, I've had no problem with water from within my masts entering my bilge. If your configuration allows an easy path to the bilge, a little rain water rinse will not cause any harm. Do not use a steel plate to form your step for the aluminum unless you include a strong barrier to prevent corrosion.

[neilpride]

Last time we rebuild a C&C rig we use this one , you can set the stops forward or backward to acomodate diferent spar sizes.

[county]

Thanks for the responses,
Mine is deck stepped.

neilpride- Where did you get that one in the pic?

[Nicholson58]

note that the one in the picture may not be adjustable with the mast in place.

I can see the advantage of rinsing the salt from the bilge. I'd rather have a dry bilge. Sitting on the hard, we get as much as 15 gallons of rainwater in a toad-choker.

[neilpride]

Its made by soromap, yes ist not adjustable with the mast in place , you need to set the ends before the mast is step, as for rain wáter coming from the mast , this is a thing from the past, each mast we refit or install it new its fited whit a internal mast dam made of plastic and glued with a special caulk at deck level with 1 or 2 pieces of plastic tube for internal electrical wiring, cheers...

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Its made by soromap, yes ist not adjustable with the mast in place , you need to set the ends before the mast is step, as for rain wáter coming from the mast , this is a thing from the past, each mast we refit or install it new its fited whit a internal mast dam made of plastic and glued with a special caulk at deck level with 1 or 2 pieces of plastic tube for internal electrical wiring, cheers...

Our mast is in-mast roller furling so there is a for and aft section partition as part of the extrusion. The dam is an the aft section below the Harken furling drive. It does as you say, however, there is no access to the forward section where the halyards & electrical runs are. Water enters at all of the halyard openings and runs directly top the bilge. Gaining access to the fore section would require creating a hole in the mast large enough to introduce a plug & glue.

You can see the dam in the aft opening a couple feet below the Harken & goosneck. The mast is 12 inches X 7.5 inches & 80 feet. You can also see the mass of wires headed up the forward partition. A better design would have been to ram an expanding plug such as polyethylene foam up the fore section and drill a drain through the partition above the dam. Such an item was never considered as you can shine a flash light well up the mast.