1983 29 Mk-II
I found similar conditions (smell and blackened cracks) about step when we rebuilt the front end of the sump and step years ago. We found no balsa , just the rigid foam. The smell of the wet foam could knock you over backwards. The good news is the foam, once dry, seemed structural sound. Be happy that you very likely have foam under the mast and not balsa core We did not have drain holes described by Bob, but it was evident that somebody had executed some real bad repair work after a grounding, so they probably disappear during that repair. There was about a pint of cured neat epoxy ( pure resin with no filler) that somebody poured in to fill the pocket. I wish they hadn't done that! We ultimately dug it all out and are now solid laminate under the mast step, giving a Pearson Triton a run for the money for laminate thickness. If you have to do some repair use epoxy resin, rather than polyester. Epoxy resin adheres well to the polyester glass laminate, Epoxy laminate is stronger, and it is not hydroscopic. The other potentially good news is that the quality of the stainless on the keel bolts seems to be quite good. 18-8 stainless (300 series CRES) has susceptibility to crevice corrosion. When the surface is not exposed the passive layer that protects the steel breaks down and you get localized attack. Trapped water/oxygen depletion is generally a recipe for disaster. My keel bolts however were clean. Thank you C&C for the quality of the stainless your keel bolts! Probably low carbon content in the 18-8 they used, so minimum Chromium depletion and reasonably good corrosion resistance. Good luck and stick your head up occasionally for a breath of fresh air. If grinding out, get yourself a good respirator Kirk Sneddon C&C 29 Mk II - Flying Cloud From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Bob Hickson Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2013 4:18 PM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Stus-List Crazy weird smell from under the mast I have a 1985 29 mark 2. Water intrusion problems are a known issue in the mast step. There is a large, sealed pocket under the mast step that is filled with some king of semi rigid foam There is also a very long keel bolt that passes through this "pocket" with a nut located under the butt of the mast. On my boat there are drain holes in the rear face of the mast step (located in the bilge sump) During the sailing season, these drain holes are plugged with screws / caulk to prevent water ingress into the keel step from the bilge. When laid up, the screws are removed to allow trapped water to drain out. If the plugs are not removed, freezing water in the step can cause damage I would look for the drain holes and remove the plugs if you can find them ..... watch to see what comes out. If you see the drain holes and they are not plugged, I would cautiously drill them out to clear any debris and let the pocket drain. I re-drilled mine this fall just to make sure that they were not jammed with debris. I can take a photo over the weekend showing the location if it would help you. I probed through these holes with a wire and pulled out small bits of dry foam I am lucky and my mast step is perfectly dry. However, I know other 29-2's are not so lucky. If you get water pouring out and can feel wet foam in the pocket, I am guessing that surgery would be required Consensus is that water enters the pocket under the mast step around the front keel bolt Best regards, Bob Hickson, P. Eng, RHI, CEA C&C 29-2 Flying Colours (416) 919-2297 <mailto:bobhick...@rogers.com> bobhick...@rogers.com ~~~~ __/) ~~~~
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