Need Help with Mast Base Damage

[RobertB]

I have been trying to figure this out since last year - new year, new try

The base of my mast has broken through the deck at the front of the mast base.
This picture is of the mast free standing in the driveway, no sails and no mast raiser - just the free standing mast by itself.
I contacted the dealer, Mac Factory Sales, both by phone and email and never received any assistance even after several inquires - and email tracking software shows the message was looked at several times in a couple of states.
I contacted Tattoo and received a prompt response, that the way the boat is designed this should not happen.
I contacted BWY several times both phone and email and never received any response.

The problem has several possible contributing factors: The dagger board itself is installed slightly off center to the deck opening, the mast base brackets are installed off center to the deck opening, and as a result, the forward starboard corner of the mast base has crushed both the deck and the flange underneath around the daggerboard since there is nothing solid underneath. The bare fiberglass in the picture has also been crushed
This shows the daggerboard trunk off center

Can anyone take a picture of their mast in place so I can figure out how this is supposed to be located?
Does anyone know of a dealer that may be willing to discuss how best to fix this? I am looking for technical assistance, not a lawsuit.

I am currently considering, due to the fact so much is mis-located, that the best solution is to install a stainless steel plate under the mast deck brackets and cut out for the daggerboard - essentially a deck doubler. This can distribute any point loads to structure that can take it.
IDEAS?????

[Obelix]

I would go with a removable stainless plate, with two sides bend up and mounted to the mast-rails. I would not make a cut-out for the daggerboard, since the daggerboard stays normally below this level and a full plate will avoid warping. Putting 1/8" under the lip the mast is resting on, can certainly be compensated by the rigging.

Good luck

Obelix

[RobertB]

I have thought along that line but looking at the mast base bracket, do not have room to add anything underneath unless the mount is raised to accommodate. I was actually considering cutting out the deck enough to recess the plate but this just did not seem to be good structurally. Thanks

[Tomfoolery]

This shows the daggerboard trunk off center

Looks like the SS was located off-center to the trunk, so the bearing area for the mast base is ample on one side, and on the edge of the hole on the other. Sloppy location of factory-mounted items is, well, not unexpected, at least based on my boat.

[RobertB]

I first noticed the stainless steel brackets but today discovered the trunk itself off center. Eyeball manufacturing.

[Obelix]

I'm thinking of a U-shaped channel fitting tight between the mast-rails. The contact part of the mast-base is narrower and would allow a 1/8" lip on either side. The 1/8" thickness of the channel, raising the contact part of the mast-foot, can easily be absorbed by the rigging. Just looking closely, it appears your base-plate is twisted and not level. This may have contributed to the original problem.

Obelix

[Ixneigh]

I think you can fix that with fiberglass. Dremel tool off the gelcoat, and grind out any loose or damaged glass, then effect repairs with west system epoxy and heavy weave fiberglass. Build up the area slightly but not so much it will affect the rigging. File the underside of the mast bracket so there is no sharp edge cutting into the new repair. Try it a season to see if it works.
Ix

[yukonbob]

I had similar damage but to a lesser extent. Did what Ix said. Mine was all the way around the DB trunk with some of the glass showing near the front. Two years and it still looks good. I'd be careful with plates as noted above as an eighth at the bottom would change the rake for sure. Don't think my DB trunk is out of line with the base but I'm gonna check in the fall.

[mrron_tx]

Alright.... am I sensing a problem with the 2011 M's I went out and checked Mine and sure enough it has more space on the port side than starboard , with chipped gelcoat front starboard ,aft port , with only smudges on opposing corners. I could not locate a tape measure tonight , but will measure in the morning.

[mrron_tx]

I just measured the base mount vs the db opening and found that there is just over a quarter inch difference between port , at one inch and stb with just under 3/4inch. Even though there are no slots for adjustment..... I wonder if the mount could be loosend and moved a bit... Any thoughts Ron.

[Tomfoolery]

I just measured the base mount vs the db opening and found that there is just over a quarter inch difference between port , at one inch and stb with just under 3/4inch. Even though there are no slots for adjustment..... I wonder if the mount could be loosend and moved a bit... Any thoughts Ron.

To center it, you need to move it only 1/8"+, so you should be able to elongate the holes just enough to do that without fouling the bolt heads.

I find it odd that the hole itself is off-center, as I would think it's part of the mold. But anything is possible, of course.

[mrron_tx]

There may be some deep rooted manufacturing misalignment also.... but I'm thinking the guy that put the base on was like Me and can't see a straight line I think I will play with it a little and see. Ron.

[seahouse]

Either I'm missing something here, or ???

I'm working from memory, so I'm at a disadvantage, but it looks to me, from the top picture, that the front part of the St St mast base bracket has been bent back so as to be at nearly a 90, when it should be at a more obtuse angle than that. An obtuse angle would put that part on a hypotenuse so it would not then sit so close to the top of the deck, and therefore should not ever touch the fibreglass.

Bending that part forward so that it nearly contacts the pin from the MRS should solve the problem and give you clearance to the deck. Then just do some fibreglass repair, no plates needed. No?

Or maybe I am missing something, like maybe the mast is not all the way forward in the picture?

[mastreb]

Concur with Seahouse. It actually looks like your mast foot is bent too far inward. My foots forward lip contacts the deck all the way across and does not span over the trunk, which I know from my rust line. The lip is also not bent so far inward, it's bent slightly outward.

If in your topdown picture, you drew the rust line across the point farthest aft that does not span across the trunk at all, that's where my foot sits.

It's _possible_ that your mast foot base bracket is bolted on too far aft (it certainly isn't straight) but I agree that the entire problem is solvable by bending the lip farther forward.

Was there any incident that could have bent that bracket back (dropping the foot on the hard?)

Matt

[March]

Thank God I have an 26X