Thanks for the reply Neil My 26 is a bit more complicated -- the mast itself is stepped on the cabin top with a king post extending down to the support in the bilge, It's the support that has failed. I'm referring to that support as the mast step in this case as it is where the load is concentrated.
Due to the warping of the "step" the cabin top and bulkheads have deformed by a half-inch or so and will need to be reshaped. As you say, the cabin sole covers the outboard sections of the that spans over the keel at the turn of the bilge. I'm planing on cutting out those sections of the sole for access and room to glass in the new support. Guess I'll figure it out as I go. Thanks again, Jim Hesketh '78 C&C 26 Coconut Grove, FL Neil wrote: > Jim, > > Not sure how this would play out on a 26, but I had to replace the mast > step on my 35-1, and while simple in theory, was not quite so easy to do. > Basically pull the mast, chop out all the old step support and replace. > The support was a glassed-over stack of plywood that spanned the bilge > well. What made it a PITA on the 35-1 was that the plywood, if the same > size as what was originally used, would not fit through the width of the > opening in the cabin sole. I was able to fit a fiberglass board (from > McMaster Carr) for the lowest level, then built up equivalent thickness > with layers of glass cloth that easily fit through the opening. Others > have used various other schemes to deal with this, depending on access. > > As you say, should be straightforward, depends on how open the bilge area > is. Also make sure you mark well where the step was. > I wrote: Next week's project is the repair/replacement of the mast step on my 1978 C&C 26. It looks to be a fairly straightforward job, and I have a rigger lined up to help with loosening and re-tuning the mast afterward. Has anyone here done this themselves -- any insight, advice, other things to look for, tricks of the trade, potential problems that may crop up?
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