Reply to :: Catamaran Sailboats at TheBeachcats.com

Welcome anonymous guest

Please Support
TheBeachcats.com

Forums index page

Reply to: Phoenix 18 - Mast Base / Step Plate "Bolts / Plates" Query

Message body

[quote=turbohobo]Like Kevin says, it looks like this is a mast step link pin, might be home made? To raise the mast, the bottom of the mast is connected to the mast base using the link pin, this allows the mast to pivot as it is raised, seating it onto the mast base as it reaches vertical. You could stand on the forward beam and try dead lift the already vertical mast onto the mast base, very difficult, or do as the rest of us trailer sailors do, lay the mast fore and aft across the center of the boat, connect the mast to the mast base using the link pin and then pivot mast to vertical by whatever means untill you can connect the forestay to the bridle wires.

The mast step link pin [b]must[/b] be disconnected once the mast has been raised, allowing the mast to rotate, usually there is a mast bearing made of Delrin? between the mast and the mast base to prevent metal on metal. Also the rigging, all stays, should be tight enough to prevent the mast from "jumping" out of the mast base for any reason, but not too tight to overstress the rig or prevent the mast from "rotating", side to side.

Turbo<em>Edited by turbohobo on Jul 12, 2011 - 04:25 PM.</em> [/quote]

No HTML tags allowed (except inside [code][/code] tags)