Need Help with Mast Base Damage

[yukonbob]

How are your mast bearings/plastic disk? Maybe they/it have worn and is contributing? Throwing out ideas

[RobertB]

Yesterday I thought the way to fix this would be to move the contact line forward. I thought the easiest way would be to bend the mast base forward part to contact a bit further forward. BUT, this is a welded and gusseted part, there is nothing to bend. So, either mine was made wrong or the installation is wrong. Either way, the contact area is wrong - on the unsupported edge of the deck at the daggerboard trunk.
There is no bending or misalignment of the mast base on the mast. The bearings are OK. The mast angle is very close to what is specified in the manual.
Another option would be to drill the mast brackets to locate the mast 1/2 inch forward. Problem, there is not enough room considering the mast raiser pin. Or, to move the mast brackets forward at least 1/2 inch but there is not room on the raised deck area.
I still believe the best fix will be to install a deck doubler under the brackets - or to make entirely new mast deck brackets. But, to give a try to fix without taking everything apart, I bent three pieces of 1/16 x 1 inch brass to support the deck (installed on edge), and another to fill the damaged deck area (horizontally) and installed all with MarineTex and some fiberglass cloth. I now officially hate MarineTex. The stuff will not set up (and I did mix according to instructions). I swear I had to hold the brass in place for 90 minutes - we will see where the parts are tomorrow. Essentially, I have tried to create a load handling bearing area based on an adhesive bond with the inside of the daggerboard trunk for the right hand part of the mast base that crushed through the 1/4 inch thick deck.
I will update with in process pictures tomorrow.
My biggest frustration is the refusal of anyone associated with MacGregor to help me diagnose the problem and plan the fix. I was looking for part dimensions and intended location details. I know they were discussing - I tracked every time the message was opened on each coast both CA and FL. I now think it is very likely they know this is a problem and they are hoping I go away - that they fear a lawsuit that may affect more than just one boat as some of the responses to this thread indicates. A shame, all I was trying to do was fix my boat, not make lawyers rich. The truth is, a sailboat should not have a mast that breaks through the deck.

[mastreb]

Sadly you're caught in a bit of a catch 22 legally, since you're out of the warranty period, and Tattoo is a different corporation.

It's pretty apparent to me that your mast foot bracket was originally installed incorrectly, and that it's the original manufacturer's responsibility to correct it. Fortunately, while the 26M is out of production, MacGregor still exists as a business.

You need get some documentation of what a correctly aligned and installed mast foot bracket looks like, what yours looks like.

If you aren not insured against this kind of damage:

1) have a lawyer send a letter directly to MacGregor Yachts, not through factory sales (Mike Inmon) since he's just a dealer.

2) Have the foot professionally repaired and use the cost of that as your basis for damages. Be sure to have the repairer write a letter of opinion regarding the original placement of the foot bracket.

3) If you don't receive a positive response from MacGregor, file a small claim against them in your state. This will result in a default judgement for you if MacGregor never responds, and as they're an operational corporation, it will be easy enough to recover a judgement. If you do get a positive response, ask them to pay for the repair costs since this was obviously and original defect.

If you are insured, file a claim and let them deal with MacGregor.

Matt

[seahouse]

Yeah I see, a welded-in gusset would prevent it from bending, or you bending it.

Is there anyone near you that has an M without this issue that you might take measurements from for comparison? I just searched through my photos and mine is offset to one side by about the same amount and direction as yours, so that is probably normal, or not the source of the problem. I do also have some marks from rubbing on the gel coat, and they are located at about the same position as yours, relative to the DB slot edge. But they don't penetrate the surface. It's hard to tell, but I see no gross deviations in positions in the pictures between mine and yours (both 2011's?)

BTW - I wouldn't conclude that the brackets are not mounted on centre (port to starboard), it might very well be that the DB slot, being from a coarse FG mould is not on centre, and the mast mounting angles are centred relative to other datum centreline points on the boat that we don't know about. Until you know that for sure, I would not monkey with their position. It's not that precise on any boat, if you measured.

[RobertB]

Agree with pretty much all. Thus my starting point with trying to get details from MacGregor, Tattoo, or BWY about how it is supposed to be and my dismay from the lack of willingness to help.

[Ixneigh]

I can pretty much assure you that Roger is going to call this a cosmetic issue and not covered by anything. Unless it makes the boat unsafe to use, they won't do anything and you'll spend more time messing with it then if you just fixed it yourself. My guess is only some type of serious hull failure would get any attention.
Ix

[RobertB]

Started the repair attempt to give the mast foot something structural to support it. Started by grinding away bad fiberglass, trimming excess sealant, and prepping the surrounding area. Then, cut and bent 3 brass strips to act as fillers
Here they are where they will end up.
And one more for a top bearing area
If I do this again, I will use epoxy putty, not anything that can sag on a vertical surface - I probably held these in place for over an hour. Hopefully I did not develop any bad voids.
Now I need to clean up and fair out - and finish up with some gelcoat.
If this does not work, will likely install the doubler plate between the deck brackets and the deck.

[seahouse]

Looks good. Once you got grinding into it, was there any sign of voids or weakness underneath explaining why it failed? It looks like making a dam and filling it with resin, with a meniscus proud of the deck surface and then grinding/ sanding it back flush, as others have done, is also a viable fix.

Have you laminated brass with resin before? How does that hold up to corrosion? I might try that sometime, somewhere, in the future.

[RobertB]

Damage was limited to the deck flange overhang into the daggerboard trunk. The contact area was situated perfectly to wreck the unsupported 1/4 inch thick fiberglass - it never had a chance.

An integral mold would have been much easier - but sometimes I just end up doing things the hard way. Since this is a point bearing situation, I wanted some serious metal involved backing the load versus filled resin - and used the metal to spread out the load path. I wanted to use stainless steel but my locally available choices were carbon steel, aluminium, and brass. Carbon steel no way, brass stronger than aluminium. Can always adjust later.

[Russ]

The base of my mast has broken through the deck at the front of the mast base.

I need to go out and look at my boat.

What am I missing here? In the photo above, the mast looks like it's leaning to the left (starboard). That plate that pivots back is pressing down into the deck. Is it supposed to touch the deck?
Yea, your deck plate is crooked, maybe even too far aft, but is the mast even supposed to make contact with the deck. If so, that seems pretty stupid. Metal meeting glass. Here I thought that bendy bit just kept stuff from dropping down the trunk.

[Russ]

I can pretty much assure you that Roger is going to call this a cosmetic issue and not covered by anything. Unless it makes the boat unsafe to use, they won't do anything and you'll spend more time messing with it then if you just fixed it yourself. My guess is only some type of serious hull failure would get any attention.
Ix

+1

Just a waste of time dealing with the factory.

[RobertB]

Can someone take a picture of their mast base to compare with those posted here? Trying to figure out if there is something really wrong with the way mine is put together or even if I have a part off a tractor or something.

Thanks

[seahouse]

A mast rake set too far forward would cause a problem like this, but you said earlier that your mast rake was set properly. This area takes all of the down force of the shrouds, but most of that is on the rear pivot bolt, IIRC. Shrouds that are too loose might cause this too.(?)

[RobertB]

A mast rake set too far forward would cause a problem like this, but you said earlier that your mast rake was set properly. This area takes all of the down force of the shrouds, but most of that is on the rear pivot bolt, IIRC. Shrouds that are too loose might cause this too.(?)

The two dimensions listed in the manual are correct. But, these assume a specific positioning of the mast base - if the mast base is too far back, this could cause an additional loading at the front of the mast foot. I also noticed the top of the mast bends back a little from he lower half. I have adjusted my side stays using the Loos gauge.

Anyone know if there is any adjustment to the forestay with the factory roller furler? I am in process of installing a Johnson lever and now considering adding a stay adjuster to the top since I need to reposition this point on the mast anyhow. If not, anyone know of problems installing a swage on turnbuckle at he top of the forestay? Even looking at the Sta-Loc type.

[seahouse]

You can release and slide up the lower part of the furler to reveal a turnbuckle. Adjusting that is how you set the mast rake.