[Rhodes22-list] Your favorite way of pulling out mast step

Sun Jun 21 20:42:41 EDT 2015

Hank,

I agree that it is probably better to have the mast step pull out without causing additional damage to cabin top.  I remember a lot of warnings not to through bolt but I do not recall any anecdotes of through-bolted steps that caused significant damage.  Could you find or point me to such stories in the archives so that I can quote them to folks who do not believe?

Mike
s/v Windlass ('91)
Nissequogue River, NY

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of The Rhodes 22 Email List
Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2015 12:32 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Your favorite way of pulling out mast step

Just trying to point out that there was a reason it was designed as it was.  We have had stories on this list of folks who did just what you did and then suffered severe damage to the cabin top when the mast unexpectedly dropped.  Don't try to over engineer an extremely well made and well thought out boat.

Hank

On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 11:58 AM, The Rhodes 22 Email List < rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> wrote:

> Thanks for the cheery thought Hank. I will try not to repeat the fiasco.
>
> Jefferson
>
> From:  "Rhodes 22 mailing list [via Rhodes 22]"
> <ml-node+s1065344n50311h73 at n5.nabble.com>
> Date:  Sun, 21 Jun 2015 06:06:42 -0700 (MST)
> To:  User <jefferson at iteract.ca>
> Subject:  Re: Your favorite way of pulling out mast step
>
> Hope you don't drop the mast again as you're likely to rip a big hole 
> in your deck now that you have through bolted it.  It's designed to 
> give way with minimal damage when just using the screws.  Good Luck!
>
> Hank
>
> On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 8:08 AM, The Rhodes 22 Email List < [hidden 
> email] </user/SendEmail.jtp?type=node&node=50311&i=0> > wrote:
>
> > Well here is how I did it. In the papers I received with my new-old 
> > '76
> was
> > the famous engineer's appreciation of the Rhodes 22, which included 
> > a description of how to raise (and lower) the mast from the bow 
> > pulpit
> using
> > the boom and main tackle cleated off the stern and hauling away. 
> > First
> time
> > with my daughter standing on the fore deck holding the boom stable 
> > at 90 degrees it went up like a charm. Hallelujah. Now I was a 
> > master of the technique.
> >
> > The second time I made the mistake of letting the bottom end of the
> roller
> > furling jib hang off the bow while I hoisted on the mast. My 
> > daughter was again helping me. At the crucial moment, when the mast 
> > had reached about
> 30
> > degrees and she was stabilizing the boom I asked her to c heck that 
> > the base of roller furled was not scraping on the ground. She let go 
> > of the boom
> to
> > check. The boom swung out of control and so did the mast which came 
> > crashing down on the deck.
> >
> > Ouch. Miraculously the mast and boom were not damaged, nor the deck. 
> > The step however had twisted and pulled out the two bolts attaching 
> > it to the deck. After reassuring my now-traumatized daughter that I 
> > not she was to blame, I put the step in a vise and straightened it 
> > out. On inspecting
> the
> > holes where the bolts had fitted into the hull, I could see this was 
> > not the first time they'd pulled out, which was a minor consolation.
> > I extracted the two flanged pieces into which the bolts had been
> fastened,
> > cleaned the holes, poured in acetone to dry out any water that might 
> > have leaked in, and then re-bedded the flanges in epoxy and let them 
> > dry. Then re-fastened the step with the two bolts.
> >
> > So far so good. On my next attempt at raising the mast, a friend helped.
> He
> > raised the mast to head height standing on the fore deck while I hauled.
> > Then grabbed the boom to keep it steady. At which point the same 
> > damn
> thing
> > happened for the same damn reason - I forgot to attach the roller 
> > furled
> to
> > the mast and raise them both together, instead it was trailing off 
> > the
> bow.
> > Monumental, sweaty, end-of-day idiocy. Friend is holding the boom 
> > stable, roller furled gets stuck, he goes to unstick, boom wavers 
> > uncontrollably, mast and boom land on deck.
> >
> > Fortunately the step itself wasn't bent a second time. But I was now 
> > traumatized. So I drilled through the deck and this time fixed the 
> > step
> in
> > place with (3 inch?) ss through bolts, washers, and lock nuts.
> >
> > Lesson learned: the pressure on the step fittings from zero degrees 
> > up to
> > 45
> > degrees with this method is tremendous. Once the mast reaches 45 
> > degrees the pressure lessens and continues to lessen up to 90 
> > degrees. I saw in the archives what looks like a brilliant 
> > contraption made from a pvc joint
> cut
> > in half and then held in place with metal straps to hold the boom 
> > rigidly to the mast at 90 degrees. Has anyone else experience with 
> > this device?
> >
> > Ultimately I want to be able to raise the mast by myself, since I 
> > sail mostly solo.
> >
> > So there is my first confession. I'd love to read that I'm not 
> > aloneŠ
> >
> >
> > Jefferson
> > SV Patience
> > Lake Memphremagog, Quebec
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
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> t-mast-ste
> p-tp49974p50309.html
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> >
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