Hi all, I have a circa 1982 BCC. the mast step at the keel is wood instead of plastic. The wood has deteriorated and needs to be replaced. Has anyone else run into this problem?
If you have the standard SLM Forespar mast, Forespar makes an aluminum casting shoe that fastens down with lag screws into the lead. My casting was corroded, as well as the bottom inch or so of the mast. On Roger Olsen’s recommendation, I cut 2" off the mast, bought a new casting, and replaced the 2" with a 2" thick delrin block. Now the casting and the bottom of the mast are dry.
If you have your mast out, as I did, the problem is easy to fix. Raising the mast in place would be a real challenge, but it might be possible to raise it enough to replace the step. Maybe not?
If there’s no casting available for your mast, you could make one out of delrin. Maybe an aluminum plate for the mast to bear on and spread the load, rather than bearing directly on the delrin, would be a good idea.
Dan Shaula BCC 59, 1981
She’s a Canadian built boat. There is no data plate on the mast so I don’t know the manufacturer. I’ll talk to the folks in Port Townsend who build the BCC and see if they have any insight. Looks like I won’t really know what I’m up against until I pull the mast.
Captn,
Your latest should continue with your previous thread on this subject. I’ve pasted it here:
"Posted by: Captn Morgan (IP Logged)
Date: April 14, 2014 02:30PM
Category: Miscellaneous
I have a Canadian built BCC. One of the things I’m up against is removing the mast step. It looks like the builder used epoxy to set the wooden mast step in place instead of bolting a plastic mast step in like the SLM built boats. The wood has failed and it looks like it’s going to be quite challenging to remove it. Only about 1" of the 2" step is above the bilge. Also they did not use any kind of collar at the step like the one used at deck level. Having said this I believe the overall construction quality to be quite good."
Your previous post referred to pulling the mast. Have you done that? If not, are you attempting to work on the mast step by raising the mast in place? If that is the case, have you succeeded in raising the mast high enough to access the mast step? Pulling the mast would probably be a good idea as you could also check out all the mast’s rigging and other attachments.
As mentioned above, the standard SLM mast step is an aluminum casting (not plastic), made by Forespar, who supplied the spars to SLM, at least in the early days. Your Canadian BCC probably does not have a Forespar mast, so unless you can identify the maker, you’ll may have to fabricate something out of delrin. However, if you pull the mast, you can see if the Forespar mast step would work with your mast.
I think you can fabricate a good mast step from delrin, A 2" thick block would be the base and then a 1" layer would provide a receptacle to surround the mast base. The surround should have a groove on its lower surface to allow water to drain out of the receptacle. Or you could drill out a drain that passes through the base. Rain does get it to mast’s interior. The mast step should be fastened down–SLM used ~3" lags crews that went on down into the keel’s lead. If you used a 2" base, you would want longer screws, to penetrate the lead several inches. I use the lag screws to access the lead for a ground for the HF radio. Epoxy or bedding compound is not needed nor a good idea in my opinion.
The Cape George Cutter folks have not built a BCC yet, as far as I know. They have produced a BCC hull and deck (and hopefully more soon), and one of these days maybe a finished BCC. There are several Canadian BCC owners that participate on the forum, but since various shipwrights finished the hull and decks, others may not have your problem.
Dan Shaula
Thanks Dan, I appreciate your quick response and I’ll keep you update on how things go.
Larry
I have a Canadian built BCC.
Me too. CCY, circa 1980.
the standard SLM mast step is an aluminum casting (not plastic), made by Forespar, who supplied the spars to SLM, at least in the early days. Your Canadian BCC probably does not have a Forespar mast
I have not found an ID plate on the mast yet, but there is one on the boom. The boom was made by Pacific Spar Ltd, Vancouver, BC. I have not found a lot of info about that company, but the manager back then was Steve White, who now has his own rigging company in Vancouver, I also found that the company was bought out by Pro-Tech Yacht Services, which is also still operating in Vancouver. My first guess is that Pacific Spar Ltd made your spars. Someone may still remember something.
My mast step looks like the Forespar one in the photo Mast Shoe.JPG except that the holes for the four lag screws are not slotted and the mast is sitting on it so there is not much to see.
the builder used epoxy to set the wooden mast step in place
There is a plywood wedge underneath my mast step which is wedge shaped, going from zero thickness at the front side to about one inch thickness at the aft side.
Only about 1" of the 2" step is above the bilge.
I don’t understand this. Not like mine at all. The mast step is not far enough below the cabin sole to qualify as in the bilge. Do you have a photo?
- Norris (Bristol Cream)
Very interesting how the CCY can build the same product differently. The mast step on Kotura has no shoe at all. The mast is simply sitting on the block of wood that was is epoxied in place with about 1" of wood showing above the bilge. I don’t know why it didn’t slip to one side or the other before the wood rotted on the port side allowing it to move about 3/4" to port. My challeng now is to figure out how to remove the wood step. I’m hoping to be able to make cuts along the perimeter and then cuts about 1" apart along the surface and use a chizle and hammer.As you know the access is very limited. Once it is removed I’ll use a 2" thick piece of plastic, UHMW set in it’s place and router the mast profile into the UHMW about 1" deep. I’ll take some photo’s and post them as I move forword with this project. Would you happen to know the part number of the yellow/gold paint used on the spars on a BCC? Thanks for your response. Always nice to hear other ideas.
Captn Morgan
It sounds like you have the mast out? Where are you located? An angle grinder could make fast work of a piece of wood, and they can usually be rented.
Dan