Help, stuck on deck!

[Scubaseas]

Here's a thought. Use the main halyard and jib halyard attached to a bridle rigged to the mast collar slots to supply the upward force. Then use a wire or vibro tool to cut the sealant. Heat gun might help a lot also.

[waterman46]

Lots of thoughtful suggestions here, but you shouldn't have to actually lift the collar. You wrote that you were able to remove some of the old sealant, if you can create a small gap of about 1/4 inch all the way around, (putty knife and hammer, or multitool saw as above) then insert new sealant and it should stop any leak between outside rim of collar and deck.

[ArmySailor]

Originally Posted by waterman46

Lots of thoughtful suggestions here, but you shouldn't have to actually lift the collar. You wrote that you were able to remove some of the old sealant, if you can create a small gap of about 1/4 inch all the way around, (putty knife and hammer, or multitool saw as above) then insert new sealant and it should stop any leak between outside rim of collar and deck.

I can actually clear out a bit of sealant but as boats go, as I'm learning, you either repair something the right way or not at all. But this may be something I need a temporary fix on. Your suggestion is good... Would you use butyl to shove in there. ? Maybe use plastic syringes and something else more fluid? Whatcha think

[beetle]

I've played this game before. First step is to get the mast boot clear out of the way, remove entirely if possible, if not then slide the boot up the mast so you can see down between the mast and collar.

Clear out everything between the collar and the mast. As it sounds as though there are wedges setting mast position in the boat, take some pictures and measurements so you can duplicate position on reinstall.

Use a thin wire on two handles (think garrot) and work the wire in between the collar and deck. The wire will cut the sealant/adhesive. The wire will likely damage the anodizing on the collar.

You will most likely need to remove the vang from the mast to have clearance to slide the collar up the mast in order to inspect the bottom of the collar.

I am surprised that the collar is only screwed into the deck if it is supposed to handle the loads of halyard blocks attached to it. Are you certain there are no bolts thru-bolted through the deck? I have never seen a mast thrubolted to a deck collar.

Fine gauge piano wire will working for the garrot, have spare wire as it will break when kinked, and wear eye and hand protection to protect yourself if the wire snaps under load.

-rob

[Empty Pockets]

The wire will work to cut through the sealant. Heat will also soften 5200. If you have the resources, use both? A piece of fine safety wire, attached to jumper cables, which are attached to a battery. Have someone helping you at the battery end so you don’t have to put down the hot wire. And think through how you’re going to protect your hands from it. Will go through your sealant like a hot knife through butter...

[ronstory]

Wait. Are the wedges still in place?

[Cheechako]

Heat softens 5200 quick. Or the Fein tool or sharp thin pocket knife blade. I find that once you wedge or pry enough it starts to pull loose. Just make sure anything else that could be holding that plate is loose. There isn't one of those vertical tie rods behind the mast down below that goes into that plate is there?

[Scubaseas]

A piece of fine safety wire, attached to jumper cables, which are attached to a battery.

Wire will be red hot and broken in under 5 seconds. Bad idea. In theory yes, in reality not so much. Hot wire will burn the gelcoat when it breaks plus 2000*F wire is not kindly to flesh. I personally would not try this but if it works......Maybe try it off the boat in the parking lot first.

[ArmySailor]

Originally Posted by ronstory

Wait. Are the wedges still in place?

You know what... They may have been in place when I tried my first exploratory prying. Haha! Of course it wouldn't lift if the wedges are in place. Oh too funny.

Tomorrow I will re-remove the boot, wedges, and try piano wire. I have both a chunk of piano wire and a wire saw (with loops for hand grips) in my pile of old infantry kit. That stuff came in handy often believe it or not.

I'll report back tomorrow, with photos.

[a64pilot]

Once you get it a little loose, try forcing in a putty knife, that is thick enough to allow the wire not to be bound between the hull and the plate.
Force is a bad term, don’t force, but try to tap into place.

[ArmySailor]

Originally Posted by beetle

I've played this game before. First step is to get the mast boot clear out of the way, remove entirely if possible, if not then slide the boot up the mast so you can see down between the mast and collar.

Clear out everything between the collar and the mast. As it sounds as though there are wedges setting mast position in the boat, take some pictures and measurements so you can duplicate position on reinstall.

Use a thin wire on two handles (think garrot) and work the wire in between the collar and deck. The wire will cut the sealant/adhesive. The wire will likely damage the anodizing on the collar.

You will most likely need to remove the vang from the mast to have clearance to slide the collar up the mast in order to inspect the bottom of the collar.

I am surprised that the collar is only screwed into the deck if it is supposed to handle the loads of halyard blocks attached to it. Are you certain there are no bolts thru-bolted through the deck? I have never seen a mast thrubolted to a deck collar.

Fine gauge piano wire will working for the garrot, have spare wire as it will break when kinked, and wear eye and hand protection to protect yourself if the wire snaps under load.

-rob

Rob, thank you for this awesome response. I'll do exactly this. Appreciate the safety note, too. But to answer your question, no, no thrubolts below. Just screws. I actually don't think there are heavy loads on this piece of equipment. The halyards are under tension, but not much. I could be missing what other dynamic forces go on with the plate though. All I know is the sucker comes in handy all the time for random attachments (again nothing with tension)

I have no boom vang. [emoji20] I'd like to set one up soon, but that's much lower priority than leaks above decks. I'll get there though!

Thanks again.

-Gene

[stnick]

Marine Formula , Its a spray thats eats 5200 ! Google it buy a can from the factory. Spray and next day 5200 will be jelly !
Rebead and reseal and you should be good. .
I use bytal tape around the mast 2 wraps than Add the canvas mast boot up side down 2 more wraps of bytal inside . Than turn down the canvas boot and Install a large SS hose clamp around right over the bytal tape.

[Djarraluda]

Check the partners.
If you have just dug-out the sealant at the top and removed the wedges from inside, check further. I was shocked to find a rubber band on mine. OK, to be more precise, 2 off rubber rings, tight fit around the mast and each was made of 15 to 18mm diameter rubber and squeezed into place. Forms a very effective backing rod to the sealant but creates a rather dramatic grab between mast and collar. Sadly, you may need to lift the mast to get them out.
Roger

[Djarraluda]

Originally Posted by beetle

I've played this game before. First step is to get the mast boot clear out of the way, remove entirely if possible, if not then slide the boot up the mast so you can see down between the mast and collar.

Clear out everything between the collar and the mast. As it sounds as though there are wedges setting mast position in the boat, take some pictures and measurements so you can duplicate position on reinstall.

Use a thin wire on two handles (think garrot) and work the wire in between the collar and deck. The wire will cut the sealant/adhesive. The wire will likely damage the anodizing on the collar.

You will most likely need to remove the vang from the mast to have clearance to slide the collar up the mast in order to inspect the bottom of the collar.

I am surprised that the collar is only screwed into the deck if it is supposed to handle the loads of halyard blocks attached to it. Are you certain there are no bolts thru-bolted through the deck? I have never seen a mast thrubolted to a deck collar.

Fine gauge piano wire will working for the garrot, have spare wire as it will break when kinked, and wear eye and hand protection to protect yourself if the wire snaps under load.

-rob

Generally, there is a large through-bolt in the mast, below deck. From each end of the through bolt, there is a rigging screw up to the deck and these bolt through the collar.
The principle is that when there are halyard turning blocks on the collar, halyard tension tries to rip it out of the deck, thus bolt it down to the mast and tension it with the bottle screws.
They tend to be visible under deck, because of the length.
Roger

[bletso]

In addition to the Fein and heat I also had to use a Kugihiki saw to reach beyond the Fein blade to remove my fife rail. You can get them at Woodcraft, amazon, etc. (Also called a flush cut saw) The blades are very thin and flexible!