Mast Heel Broken?

[Vaidotas]

Hi guys, I hope you doing great I got this I am not sure how this part is called(mast heel) or if it could be fixed. No chance of welding?

[tkeithlu]

Damn! That's awful. Not much chance of a repair, and it's a complicated expensive part.

Is a replacement available at a less than discouraging cost?

Not that it helps in the current situation, but the failure was bound to happen - that's not enough metal to do that job.

Let me try to describe a part that I would build if it were my boat, given my skill set. The part has two thin vertical fins, each with a round cut-out for the pulley shaft, which fit on each side of the broken fin, taking the spaces between the broken fin and the two pulleys. The fins are then welded/brazed to a plate that sits on the deck just aft of the mast, and is bolted to it. The part is fabricated out of steel or bronze flat, probably 3/16 or 1/4 inch thick, depending on the width of the space between the broken fin and the pulleys. The load on the pulley shaft when the halyards are tightened comes onto the new fins. I might just grind away the broken fin for more space, given that it no longer carries any load.

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, Vaidotas. I'm sorry that your first post is a bummer.

[Sailmonkey]

I would abandon the sheaves in the heel casting, relocate the halyards to side exit plates a few feet up the mast, and mount turning blocks to the deck.

[Vaidotas]

Thank you guys! I planned to take mast in autumn, meanwhile (short term) I thought to just have long rod and connect it via deck. How big loads could be on a main haylard?100kg? would 50cm rod survive till autumn?

In autumn my idea is to cast collar from carbon fiber using a mold from old one (I have no experience working with steel but some with composites) or make side exits. Anyway thanks a lot! there always a solution

Sailboat is old 82 maxi 80 racer. I sailed with it few times after buying but it needs refit Have a fair winds my friends!

[Vaidotas]

Got on hard in my local sailing club and one old-timer superman told that his friend another gold hands holder weld aluminiun, so he did fixed my foot. I am so happy beyond words...

[wingssail]

Was there ever a third sheave on that shaft? The wear on the shaft makes me wonder.

A long rod (extended shaft) would need support to keep it from bending although going through the same holes would help. Not sure what that would accomplish. How do you secure a long rod to the deck?

The pully with the line looks elongated (the hole in the center looks worn) it may need replacing.

The suggestion above to exit the halyard higher up on the mast and placing turning blocks on the deck is usually a good solution. If the halyards exit the mast higher than head height you can "jump" the halyard there and hoist sails more efficiently.

With the mast off the whole mast step can be refabricated in stainless or alloy but getting rid of thse deck level blocks would be very advantageous.