Maststep Challenger 40

[crzhors]

Seasons Greetings,I have attached some pics of our maststep,bridged over the keel and bilge at cabin sole level,noting the bad corrosion along the Stbd. side at the hull. Any correction of terminology and ideas,notes, is very welcome. We are unable to pull the mast here, so we will attempt a repair.
This is a 1977 era Challenger 40. Feel free to speak up! Thanks,from Panama.

[Dalliance]

is the reason you cannot pull the mast is location of boat? anyway why can't you use some form of jacking system to get the mast off the step. you just have to slowly release the tension on your rigging as you go up, even if you have to ad toggles or what have you until you are high enough to effect a repair. by keeping equal tension on your rig the base shouldn,t move around i would think. my thought would be to put a rod or bolt thru the mast to use for a jacking purchase on either side.

[PAR]

For heavens sake don't try to jack you mast as mentioned. Once lifted clear of the mortise it'll flop right over and you'll have bigger problems, like a broken stick and hopefully no one injured.

The photos aren't clear enough to make out what the step is made from. Is it steel and is that rust? I would suspect they attempted to isolate the step from the mast in some fashion, which possible didn't work as well as hoped or has failed to continue in this role.

I also can't tell from the images just how bad the corrosion of the aluminum has gotten. How deep are the "pits"? Are the weep holes at the bottom of the mast and step clear and free to drain condensation and moisture?

Do you suspect the stick is compromised enough to warrant cautious cruising, to a yard where you feel more confident about their abilities to yank the pole?

This is a damned sticky wicket if you answer yes to many of these questions. I've been in situations like you're in and the feeling is quite helpless at times. Don't despair, you likely can carry on under much reduced sail area until you're in more repair friendly waters. I've had good luck with repairs in Honduras, can you make it to Trujillo, which about 40 miles due south of the Bahia Islands? I found a little marina there that had very skilled staff.

[Dalliance]

Par as i said in previous post it would take two people anyway. but if done carefully i see no reason why the stick cannot be jacked (hydraulically) when the stays and shrouds are attached and eased as the stick is moved upward slowly
from four sides. that should/will keep it from kicking out of column and keep tension on the stays etc.

[PAR]

I'm not going to get into a pissing contest with you Dalliance, but clearly you've not played with 50'+ masts before. I can think of a dozen things that could go wrong trying what you've said "should" keep the stick in column.

On pieces that big and costly, you don't try something that "should" work, you do something that does work, preferably with a level of safety and high probability of success (not to mention what a marina insurance policy will permit). A couple of bottle jacks and folks on deck turning buckles isn't even close.

Even a low buck marina in central America will probably have a gin pole that will ease the sick off the step with reasonable assurance.