INVESTIGATOR 563

Good Australia Day morning all.

After a great sail on Port Phillip Bay yesterday I discovered that the mast base fitting had fractured, the bit on the boat, not the end of the mast. I know there was mention of a source of replacements on the old site but have not got the details.

Can anyone help

Ian
Compass Rose, Investigator 117.

Hi Ian, I had one made from stainless plate. A bit of welding and 4 countersunk holes and done. All up $70
Pete

Hi Ian,

I bought the base for my mast which broke from an elderly genteman in Melbourne.
He was very good and quick.
Can't remember his contact but I do remember that I was given it by someone from trailersailerplace. So, I'll go do a search there and see if I can't find the link.

Cheers, Robert

Keeley marine
Bob Keeley
2/ 6 Horscroft Pl Moorabin. Ph 03 9555 4622
Tell him it is a K06 mast section.
Last time I heard they were $126 for base and mast plug, complete with pivot pin.

Thanks for the help Ian B, base fitting arrived today. Just under $70 Bob Keeley was most helpful.

In discussing whether to also replace the mast end fitting he pointed out that it may be well nigh impossible to remove the old fitting if it has been in place for a number of years (it has) so the decision was made to just replace the deck fitting. The mast end is not broke so why fix it!!

Now I have one other problem, two of the four screws holding the base fitting have stripped out holes, screws OK but the holes or whatever the screws threaded into are stripped.

Does anyone know how they ware originally secured, is it just threaded fibreglass, are there nuts below or a threaded plate? I am guessing the former but would like to be sure. After all the force would be lateral, the mast is not going to fall up..... is it?

Intention at the moment is to use plastibond to fill the hole then drill and tap.

Any better ideas or results of experience will be welcome.

Ian

I had the same problem. Came to the conclusion that they were just screwed into the wooden substrate. Not ideal! But it does show that caution is required when applying loads during mast raising. I had enough thread to hold the screws in, so just bedded them down with araldite epoxy adhesive. The important thing, apart from mechanical strength, is to ensure that water cannot get to the timber and cause the wood to rot.

Thanks for that link to Keely's mast step fittings,

Glad they still make this stuff. Great to know the name of the mast section at last. Looks like Keely have other bits that would suit the boom end etc too? Will keep them in mind for future reference.

Cheers

Andrew

My mast step cracked some time back (maybe 10 years ago) and I also purchased one from Keeley marine. Seems to be a common problem. I glued the broken bits back together with the aim of one day using it as a mould to try and make another. I finally got around to it (love retirement), and after a couple of tries, ended up with reasonable duplicate of the original. No real need to make them while the Keeley version is available, but the method might be useful for other aluminium fittings that Keeley doesn't have.

Here is my attempt at the mast step. I haven't drilled out the securing pin holes yet. When I do I'll use the mast as a template to make sure the holes align.

Wow, What a great Job, Well done Ray, Better go into production I reckon

Regards Peter T

After my u bolt failure I have gone over all of my rigging points and checked for west and tear and any undue movement.

Have noticed the mast step has a bit of movement in it, a few mm. Undid the 4 screws and inspected before tightening them back up, one screw doesn’t look like it’s getting a good purchase.

Recommendations? A bit of epoxy on the screw before installing?