FreedomYachts.org

Hi Guys,
Back from the summer cruise (I use the term summer loosely) during which we had three sessions in strong gales, 1 6 hour beat to windward which started at 25 knots and finished at 48, and two off the wind, one 30 to 40 knot and the other upto 50. We tend to overwork the fore mast (the po mentioned they tended to do the same thing) which might be the cause od a problem detected towards the end of our cruise. I heard the occasional bang up forard, something like a loose anchor and on investigation found there was some movement at the base of the foremast. With the motion of the boat the base was working in a circular motion through perhaps 2 mm. There is absolutely no movement at the main mast step. I feel that the wear caused by the movement will increase and eventually there will be a failure which I am anxious to avoid.

I wonder if ther is any detail available on the construction of the mast step and the materials used. From an external examination it appears the mast sits on a spigot. It would be useful to know some details so I can contemplate a suitable repair to take out the play.


Thanks,

I believe that the following post from the archives will address your issue.

http://www.freedomyachts.org/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=8244

Here was my answer:

-- Geoff

Mike,

I had the same issue on both masts during my autumn trip to the UK and back. I had light winds and a left-over swell. Loud bangs in the area of both mast bases. Took me half a day to discover there was nothing banging against the inside of the mast, as I thought earlier. The bases moved around in the mast base collar; main mast about two mil, mizzen about five mil. The securing bolts did not prevent this. I fixed it by hammering in soft wood wedges between mast base and mast collar, four wedges per mast at the NE, SE, SW and NW points of the mast. I'm not sure if this is a permanent solution because I haven't been in comparable circumstances since the aforementioned trip. I don't have the pie-pan or top hat insert inside the mast base. My masts are open at the bottom and sit inside the collars, secured with two bolts.

When I bought Clave', 28 ck, the main mast was corroded in the bucket. Since it was broken at deck I just cut mast above the step and removed piece which was frozen solid with corrosion. The po had invented a deeper bucket (for lack of better name) with two threaded rods crossing each other through the base. Inside the mast was a solid piece of teak about 10" tall and it was turned to fit the void in bottom of mast.
Once I removed that and started to refurbnish my masts I had a machine shop build a new step for mast. I used the original mount but had a aluminum tube welded into it. The tube is thicker than the last attempt and now coated with epoxy zinc chromate to prevent corrosion again. Then I through drilled the masts to accept the 3/8's ss rods. I did replace the teak plug with an epoxied ply wood plug which I made from ply wood discs of 3/4 inch material.
I have heard of the main mast on a Freedom jumping out of its step and floping around in the anchor locker. I didn't need that experience. Maybe its overkill but it doesn't move or make a sound. (and probably never will since the spartite will not let it be removed). Numbknots

Perhaps this will help. While going through everything that came with my new to me 1983 Freedom 33 Catketch, I came upon several packages of two part epoxy, (I can't recal at the moment the exact name or type/brand) I figured the PO just had it aboard for general use . Then while going through all the paperwork and owners manuals ,including alot of original stuff on commisioning the boat(there was several thick binders full of material, the PO saved everything and threw away nothing ) I came accross one that spoke of this epoxy that comes with the boat and should be installed during commisioning in the mast step of each mast to secure and take up any room to prevent any movment of the mast base. I figure, that since the boat appears to have been very lightly sailed and the epoxy is stil;l aboard , the PO never installed it as he never had that problem. Perhaps this is what is needed. I will try to dig up these documents and post them. I just brought all this stuff to my shop to go through it again and try to organize it better and get rid of a lot of the dupilicates. (seems like the PO was so afraid of loosing some, that he made numerous copies of everything), Rick, SV SEASOP, Freedom 33, Greenpor, NY

I use epoxy filler on the mizzen, as did the PO. It takes half a day to remove it if you need to get the mast out. (More on the first occasion, as I didn't know how brutal I could be). I would suggest release agent on the collar or the mast or both, before adding the epoxy. If you have one or more bolts through the collar, this will keep it in place. I presumed the bolts were just an anti-rotation device.
Regards,

Gerald

If I had the space to get the epoxy in between the mast and the inside of the base collar, I would put in a filler. But there is only a few millimetres space.

Be careful with that epoxy it could be a permanent fix. Then how will you pull masts out of boat without cutting mast from step? An ugly situation for sure. Now your looking for a marina with a lift that will be able to pull you boat out with two masts in place. Numbknots

hi
kusi has the same thing on the mizzen mast its a bit of a worry il probably wax the inside of the mast step when i take the masts out and pour in epoxy when i put them back, should do the trick. in the meantime iv e stuffed leather and card in the gap while sailing on each tack. i may aso reinforce the area where the bolts go through with a bit more carbon inside the mast in the same way ive seen external reinforcement plates on superyacht masts.
phil

Phil,

I found it worthwhile to make a wooden former for the mizzen (smaller diameter) to take up much of the volume which would otherwise be full of epoxy. Perhaps you do not have room for this with a CF mast. It certainly makes removal easier.

Regards,