Graeme!

Oh yeah! That guy is really something. I am going to use the self steering wind vane that he designed! Definitely an inspection to me. But don't fret my friend. When me David Taylor talks, I shut my mouth and lesten. And listen good too! For example...

David!

Thanks for clarifying. I believe I understand what you are saying ,but I drew a picture to help make sure of it. (Figure 1) I also drew a picture of my original idea just to help clear up any confusion.(figure 2). I would still like to keep a gap in between the keel and the underside of the mast steep but if you think this is not an option I can reconsider the showering with my my head out of the forward hatch. Now here in Chicago, it is hard to get my hands on any hardwood and I don't have any mill to turn it. I do have friends that would be able to make it out of aluminum though and I could have a plug made with a piece of square tube stock welded to that? Could you maybe recommend a size and thickness of tube stock? That is if you think it would be doable?

Ueli!

Thanks for your modesty. Davids advice is good as gold. I attached some works of art to help clear up any confusion.

Thanks everyone for helping me through this. It's really exciting for me! Thanks a million!

Jeffrey wrote:

Uele!

I'm sold. I'm going with the 7/32" mast. There is a 6 month back order on it but it is made locally with makes me happy. Thanks so much for the advice. I was told that I need to have a 4-5 in well for the mast steep. I can only go down 3 inches below the original height of the floor. It's going to be tight getting around the 8 in mast as it is. Do you think I can get away with the 3" Barry or do I need to build it up?

David!

Thanks for the advice. That sounds like the easiest way to go about securing the mast. Wold you recommend a size hole for both the mast step and partner? (the mast is 8 in. OD) The mast will have fiberglass under it and I'm planning to epoxy the end grain in the wholes, but should I glass it as well? I have been told putting some Spartite into the mast step helps reduce squeaking noise. Sho I leave a little wiggle room to allow for the Spartite?

Karl!

I most definitely do not need my mast to rotate. I'm going to go with Davids advice on this one.why do you have yours rotate? Also, I'm planning on running my electronics through the bottom of the mast. The plan is to drill a 1 in hole down through the floor of the mast step and glue a funnel into the bottom of the mast to help direct the wire into the hole. The floor of the mast step will be floating 2 in off the keel to allow water and electric lines to move forward and aft of the boat. Also to keep standing water from contacting the plywood that the mast step is made of.

To summarise: what you are trying to do is:

1. to stop the mast rotating.
   
2. to stop the mast heel moving from side to side.
3. to stop the mast heel lifting.
4. to get the electrical cables out of the mast heel conveniently.

Item 2. is difficult with mating parallel surfaces. It's best to use wedges to fix a parallel mast into a parallel hole, or to have a tapered mast heel going into a tapered socket. My solution on Weaverbird was:

1. to make a mast step of layers of wood and plywood, securely glassed into the hull with no air gap underneath it (important, to provide vertical support for the mast). This mast step has a roughly cut rectangular hole in it. The outside of the step is epoxy coated.
2. to put a hardwood end plug into the bottom of the mast tube, fixed in with polyurethane sealant and having a rectangular-sectioned, tapered bottom section to match the rectangular hole in the mast step, with a gap of about 3/16in all round. This tapered end plug to be smoothly finished with epoxy and then thoroughly coated with release agent, wax and/or PVA, when the mast is stepped.
   
3. After mast stepping, polyurethane casting compound was poured into that gap. It bonds to the mast step, but not to the heel of the mast.
4. Just above the top of this hardwood end plug, there is a hole in the mast tube that both lets out the electrical cables and acts as a water drain. This is better than trying to go though the bottom of the step.

This method prevents rotation, prevents the noise of the end of an aluminium tube grating from side to side in a loose step, and only needs the brackets and through bar to prevent lifting.

I suggest that an 8in mast heel/step ideally has a depth of engagement of 4in, but 3in will do if space is tight. The square or rectangular tenon that I describe would have sides of about 5.5in.

Jeffrey, who said you need a 4-5" well for a mast step?

Also, going back a couple of posts, what do you mean by "anchoring my mast to the deck step" ?

And where does the question of "bury" arise in a mast step?

You need the mast well fastened at the heel so it can not rotate or lift, as advised by David who described a good detail, though not necessarily the only way to do it. A very experienced ocean sailer set out from these shores some years ago - but overlooked the need to secure the mast at the heel.  Unfortunately the yacht inspector who signed it off and gave him clearance over-looked it too (as he told me). The boat was lost in rough seas in the vicinity of Great Barrier Island, before even reaching deep water, due to the mast lifting off the mast step and punching through the bilge. 

You are not dealing with bending forces right down at the heel, only rotating and lifting/shifting laterally. This has nothing to do with "bury". You can drill and fasten at the heel (or David's better suggestion of a removeable pin together with a securely fastened housing or brackets for the pin) and it does make sense to allow for drainage if you are going to make some kind of socket. A shallow socket there in addition to th above, if you want to have "belts and braces" - provided that does not structurally compromise the keel or the mast step (as I think Ueli is reminding you). But the depth of the socket is almost irrelevant if the mast is properly fastened down and can not lift.

The place to secure the mast against lifting and rotating is the heel, not at the deck. Here, bending forces are the issue. You need a robust structure there to provide the support needed to keep the mast upright, and the mast should be free of welds, fastenings or bolt holes at that point. This is not based on ocean cruising experience, it is simple engineering. David has offered you some good advice based on both, and it has the additional merit of being simple and practical.

The distance between the deck structure and the heel is what is meant by "bury".

So!!!

I need help picking out fabric for the sail. I have a sail plan of 305^2ft. And will be sailing across the big open ocean.

I am ok at sewing, but haven't made anything to this scale. I will need a budget option if possible but I don't want to be doing repairs at sea all of the time. 

I know that top gun 9 (mustang) is popular and is easier to sew then Dacron. Seems to be a bit cheaper as well. Rip stop is cheap. I was thinking of making my top panel out of something a bit heavier, as so  I can put it up during bad wether and that.

What's the recommendation here? I'm thinking that I'll be ending up with the Dacron but it is to expensive and I feel like it is worth exploring other options! (Every dollar saved gets me that much closer to affording a hotel room.)

Hi Jeffrey,

As I mentioned before as a weekend and inland sailor beginner at age 74 I am no good to give advise to ocean sailors. I just gave my opinion which was very wrong with the idea of holes near the partner where some collegue mentioned that the mast needs to be very strong there.

My collar is like a big hose clamp holding the mast very tight in position and I made it so that the mast can rotate which you most probably do not want at all. So once Your mast is raised , fix it just near the mast foot where you maybe need a hole for mast head lights wiring anyway, or is that done above deck together with the lightning cable ? You see the layman is at it again, so do listen to experienced sailboat builders and have fun building on.