I used epoxy coated white oak. The particular pieces were hard enough that metal working blades and a file provided the best method for shaping them.
My feeling is that the original bilge pump configuration did not get the last 2" of water out of the mast step area so the plywood was wet 7x24 for 30+ years. It also likely went through numerous freeze/thaw cycles every winter. I may have had the same setup, a Whale Guzzler in the cockpit sole and a long hose running down under the mast step. The PO installed a centrifugal style pump just astern of the mast which improved things a bit but it also could not pump the last 1" out and the water in the out line would flow back. I installed a Whale Gulper 320 with a remote pickup and electronic sensor. The pickup foot has a valve in it and the sensor runs for about 45 seconds longer after the low point for shutoff is detected. There is now very little water in the bilge. Michael Brown Windburn C&C 30-1 Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2018 03:49:30 +0000 (UTC) From: Collin Ferguson <cferg...@yahoo.com> My mast step stringers were in very bad shape and the mast plate was dropping into the bilge so I'm replacing the step this winter. I have a few questions... 1). Terminology wise, are the lateral plywood supports considered the mast step or stringers? ?Or is the heavy cast iron plate that sits on top of them called the mast step? 2). I've read the very helpful documents about others who have taken on this task. ?They have used GPO-3 or other non wood materials. ?I would like to use epoxy coated hardwood because I'm much more comfortable shaping the wood to fit in. ?If it lasts 20 years I'll be more that happy. ?The original plywood lasted 40 so I would think it should. ?My question is, what type of wood? ?I was thinking White oak or Mahogany. 3). How important is it that the 3 new pieces go all the way to the keel? ?Of the 3 current supports only the forward most support went all the way to the base of the bilge, the other two had enough space between them and the bottom of the bilge to pass a large diameter bilge hose through. ?I'm not sure if that was original or if one of the PO's modified them to run the hose. ?There were many failed repairs to the original structure. 4). I'm thinking about putting an automatic bilge pump in between the pieces under the mast. ?The current setup only had a hose running in there to a manual whale pump. ?Is it a good idea to put a small automatic pump in there? ? Thanks, Collin1974 C&C 30 MK1LibraBaltimore
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