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Unstepping mast - HELP!!!

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  • 26 Feb 2011 04:00
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    Reply # 533413 on 530604
    Anonymous member
    Hey, glad you got it sorted with out too much trouble.
    Gary
  • 25 Feb 2011 11:11
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    Reply # 532821 on 532710
    Deleted user
    Gary Pick wrote: I obviously didn't read the initial post properly. Would it help to put the mast under load again and apply some heat to the mast step...if that is possible? I'm thinking the foot of the mast has taken up moisture and jambed in the socket.

    Eureka!!!!!!! and we didn't need the heat gun that was on standby, Gary!

    It was the twisting motion combined with the pull, that we think did it. I'd just finished marking a line on the mast at the sole, and a registration mark, when she started to slowly move. I thought I was seeing things!!

    Happy bunny now and the drain cleaner will be used on the drains!

    I've taken pictures which I'll post when we're back in the water as there's loads to do this week.

    Thank you all of you

    Lesley & Rene
  • 25 Feb 2011 03:12
    Quote
    Reply # 532710 on 530604
    Anonymous member
    I obviously didn't read the initial post properly. Would it help to put the mast under load again and apply some heat to the mast step...if that is possible? I'm thinking the foot of the mast has taken up moisture and jambed in the socket.
  • 23 Feb 2011 20:27
    Quote
    Reply # 531675 on 530604
    Anonymous member
    If you can free your mast at the partners,but not the step, I suppose you could always saw it off there.  The lost of 100 or so mm might be acceptable, with the rig being as accommodating as it is.  Drastic, I know, but ...
  • 23 Feb 2011 15:22
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    Reply # 531416 on 530604
    Deleted user
    One more idea for an improvised tool--perhaps an electric carving knife (for carving meat) could do some good before the motor burns up!
  • 23 Feb 2011 15:21
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    Reply # 531415 on 531114
    Deleted user
    Jeff McFadden wrote: Is there any chance you could make a long flexible knife out of a hacksaw blade and cut around the mast at the partners? An even cruder and more drastic solution might be a long flexible blade on a Sawzall (reciprocating saw) and cut around the mast. However much you roughed up the partners you could probably fix with epoxy. I had bedded an electric motor in one of my little boats with 5200 and was able to cut it free with a hacksaw blade knife. Wore me plumb out, too!

    I have had similar luck getting bedding compounds cut out.  I found that an oscillating tool (like a Fein MultiMaster, which is good but $tupidly ex$pensive, or a knock off made by somebody else) with a knife blade worked very well--it tended to heat up and soften/melt the bedding when it didn't want to cut it.

    I haven't seen a blade for one that would fit between my mast & partners, but it might be possible to improvise one.

    If you do make something like that, I would lean toward something more like a knife than a saw, to reduce damage to the mast & partners.

    One last question (easier to ask than answer)  Is it stuck at the step or the partners?

    Good luck!

    Barry
    P.S.  I never want to pull wires into a vertical mast again!  I hope you don't have to.
  • 23 Feb 2011 03:00
    Quote
    Reply # 531199 on 531127
    Anonymous member
    Rene & Lesley Verbrugge wrote: Dear all,

    Thank you so much, it helps, knowing we have friends out there who care enough to take time out to offer advice and support.

    I managed to remove 1" of the neoprene yesterday and Rene is continuing with the hacksaw down the side of the partners.
    Geoff will no doubt be turning up soon with his invention and we'll see if we can turn the mast.   Failing that, we'll just have to do the mast work in situ and find a travel lift! The drain cleaner is still on hold.

    On a sober note, Quest was here in Hong Kong last year and we're reeling from the news today that Jean and Scott and their crew have died. They were nice people and their boat was a beauty. Puts ones own problems sharply into perspective.

    Will let you know how we get on.

    Lesley

    The news about Quest is very sad indeed.
    I've left the chainplates on my boat and plan to use them as anchor points for a bipod for raising and lowering my mast.
  • 23 Feb 2011 01:19
    Quote
    Reply # 531127 on 531114
    Deleted user
    Dear all,

    Thank you so much, it helps, knowing we have friends out there who care enough to take time out to offer advice and support.

    I managed to remove 1" of the neoprene yesterday and Rene is continuing with the hacksaw down the side of the partners.
    Geoff will no doubt be turning up soon with his invention and we'll see if we can turn the mast.   Failing that, we'll just have to do the mast work in situ and find a travel lift! The drain cleaner is still on hold.

    On a sober note, Quest was here in Hong Kong last year and we're reeling from the news today that Jean and Scott and their crew have died. They were nice people and their boat was a beauty. Puts ones own problems sharply into perspective.

    Will let you know how we get on.

    Lesley
  • 23 Feb 2011 00:34
    Quote
    Reply # 531114 on 530978
    Deleted user
    David Tyler wrote: I can't offer a solution, Lesley, but only a possible reason for sticking. My mizzen mast has a similar stepping arrangement, and it rattled so much that I poured in some Spartite (blue, rubbery), a setting compound commonly used on bermudan keel-stepped masts at the partners instead of wedges. You are supposed to grease one face so that the mast can be drawn. I did that. My wiring conduit is coming loose, and I wanted to draw the mast and fix it. I found that I couldn't rotate the mast, but I probably didn't have as good a clamping device as your engineer is making up. I didn't try with a crane - if you can't turn it, you can't lift it. 
    But the combination of doing both at the same time has the greatest chance of success. That is certainly true on a smaller scale.
    Good luck,
    David.

    Is there any chance you could make a long flexible knife out of a hacksaw blade and cut around the mast at the partners? An even cruder and more drastic solution might be a long flexible blade on a Sawzall (reciprocating saw) and cut around the mast. However much you roughed up the partners you could probably fix with epoxy. I had bedded an electric motor in one of my little boats with 5200 and was able to cut it free with a hacksaw blade knife. Wore me plumb out, too!
  • 22 Feb 2011 21:06
    Quote
    Reply # 530978 on 530604
    Anonymous member
    I can't offer a solution, Lesley, but only a possible reason for sticking. My mizzen mast has a similar stepping arrangement, and it rattled so much that I poured in some Spartite (blue, rubbery), a setting compound commonly used on bermudan keel-stepped masts at the partners instead of wedges. You are supposed to grease one face so that the mast can be drawn. I did that. My wiring conduit is coming loose, and I wanted to draw the mast and fix it. I found that I couldn't rotate the mast, but I probably didn't have as good a clamping device as your engineer is making up. I didn't try with a crane - if you can't turn it, you can't lift it. 
    But the combination of doing both at the same time has the greatest chance of success. That is certainly true on a smaller scale.
    Good luck,
    David.
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