Randy: We were delivering the boat back to New Orleans after purchase. I knew of the potential flaw but the surveyor was not able to see the support structure. Had boat itch to replace my C&C 27 lost in Katrina. I took a chance.
Close hauled with main and a 110 in 15 kts wind, 30 minutes into the sail I sensed something slipped. Under sail, the pressure on the windward shrouds seemed normal. Sent my son below to check and the report was not good. The mast step collapsed. We killed the sails and headed up Mobile Bay under power. The rig was now loosely goosey as we rolled in the following sea. We tried to stabilize it by squeezing the shrouds together with line. A worrisome 4 hr motor up the bay to the marina complex at Dog River not knowing how or if the butt of the mast was working against the hull. The wood plate under the step fractured as well as some of the transverse members. If you do the repairs yourself, be sure to use pvc pipe to leave access to the forward keel bolt if you fill in the gaps between the stringers. Ed Briar Patch, C&C 34 New Orleans, La On Monday, April 11, 2016, <randy.staff...@comcast.net> wrote: > Thanks Ed. The story at > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/doityourself/maststep/maststep.htm is > informative. Someone who owned the boat before me had already cut a > rectangular hole in the cabin sole next to forward port dinette bench, and > fashioned a thick wood block to fill the hole and span the two cross > supports. They just didn't go so far as to rebuild the cross supports. > The above story looks like a reasonable way to do it. > > So when your step failed, what happened? Did those timbers, and the floor > pan, just break, causing your mast to drop 6-9"? > > Cheers, > Randy > > ------------------------------ > *From: *"Edward Levert via CnC-List" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','cnc-list@cnc-list.com');>> > *To: *"cnc-list" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','cnc-list@cnc-list.com');>> > *Cc: *"Edward Levert" <weeselev...@gmail.com > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','weeselev...@gmail.com');>> > *Sent: *Monday, April 11, 2016 1:57:05 PM > *Subject: *Re: Stus-List Timbers Beneath Mast Step > > Randy: > > Check the "Do it yourself" section of the Photo Album for a description > and a photograph of the repair. My C&C 30 Mk 1, Hull 19(?) had the step > fail on the 1st sail. I was in Mobile Bay at the time of failure and had > the step rebuilt by a professional who was the Boatwright for the US > Olympic teams in China and England. The rebuilt the step is similar to the > description in the Photo Album, differing by filling in the gaps between > the cross supports with epoxy/filler. Total cost in 2006 was about $1200 > plus the cost of mast unstopping/ stepping. The repair required cutting out > part of the cabin floor pan to allow access to glass in the new supports. > > Ed > Briar Patch, C&C 34 > New Orleans, La. > > On Mon, Apr 11, 2016 at 12:13 PM, Randy Stafford via CnC-List < > cnc-list@cnc-list.com > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','cnc-list@cnc-list.com');>> wrote: > >> Listers- >> >> Since the mast is down on my early (hull #7) 30-1, I removed the mast >> step to inspect beneath. The aluminum step is screwed onto a heavily >> sealed wood block ~12"x6"x2", which is in turn screwed onto two short >> timbers running athwartship which I'm sure are intended to take the load of >> the mast and transfer it to the hull. Those two timbers have been wet and >> appear to be a rot risk. The PO fitted a heavily sealed wood wedge down >> into that lowest part of the bilge between the floor timbers, to further >> support the block under the mast step. >> >> My concern is that the wedge will transfer load from the mast onto the >> top of the keel instead of to the hull via the floor timbers, and thereby >> contribute to separation of the lead ballast part of the keel from the >> fiberglass keel stub i.e. the "C&C smile". Do you think this is a >> legitimate concern? Any thoughts on how to otherwise reinforce the floor >> timbers or distribute the mast load to the hull? >> >> Also that wedge was sitting in bilge water because the automatic bilge >> pump float switch is a bit aft and a bit higher. Both the automatic and >> manual bilge pump intake tubes are down there in that lowest part of the >> bilge, but the manual pump must be more effective at removing that water >> because of the float switch location. >> >> Thanks in advance for any comments. >> >> Cheers, >> Randy Stafford >> S/V Grenadine >> C&C 30-1 #7 >> Ken Caryl, CO >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you >> like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All >> Contributions are greatly appreciated! >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > > This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you > like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All > Contributions are greatly appreciated! > >
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