Arne wrote:

Frank, 

here is how I have strapped down Ingeborg's mast. I also wanted to keep the mast from rotating. As can be seen, I smeared some glue in the screw-holes and under the ss-steel hoops before screwing them in place. This is not a particularly wet place (it's dry, actually), so haven't found it necessary to use epoxy.

I don't claim that this is the 'right', or even a 'good' way of doing it, but it seems to work for me. I have put much more effort in avoiding any leaks past the partners. Even a drop a week is unacceptable.

Arne

 

It may be the angle of the photos, but I can't see how that is holding the mast down.  It looks as if the lashings are almost parallel to the step.   I get that how that will keep it from turning, but isn't there enough play to allow the mast to work its way upward?

Frank, 

here is how I have strapped down Ingeborg's mast. I also wanted to keep the mast from rotating. As can be seen, I smeared some glue in the screw-holes and under the ss-steel hoops before screwing them in place. This is not a particularly wet place (it's dry, actually), so haven't found it necessary to use epoxy.

I don't claim that this is the 'right', or even a 'good' way of doing it, but it seems to work for me. I have put much more effort in avoiding any leaks past the partners. Even a drop a week is unacceptable.

Arne

Arne,

thank you for your answer. I'm curious to see a picture. I was against screwing direct into the mast step because of water soaking in and letting the wood rot away from inside. But after I saw a picture how they build the mast step on the newbridge coromandels I'm not that afraid anymore ....

Anonymous wrote:
The mast sole is just a flat plate, firmly attached to the hull. It slopes very gently aft to aid draining. The mast step collar, being a little smaller than the sole, is then trial-fastened with two screws, and the mast is then stepped. If the mast rake is correct, I just add more screws (and/or epoxy) to secure the collar and seal any screw holes.  

Hi Arne,

do you use an additional holding-down bolt or wedges to secure the mast inside the collar? We build our mast step in a similar way to yours. I'm scratching my head for days how to secure the mast without screwing metal into the mast step/ plywood to avoid possible rot.

Thanks, Annie.
Luckily, I found that I could throttle down the Tohatsu quite a lot before the speed dropped to 5.0kts, so it must be that the speed-drag curve is rapidly getting steeper over 5kts (theoretical hull speed is 6.0kts). 

I guess 5kts will be the cruising speed under motor  -  that is after all a decent sailing speed for such a small craft.

Arne.