Pearson Boats - Common Systems > Mast and Spar Issues

Mast corrosion

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Now or Never!:
The step is attached to the keel with four stainless steel lag screws  2 1/2 inch by 3/8 I think.  They came out easily and were entirely intact in spite of the corrosion of the step. 

roadrunnersid:
Hello Everyone,
 My wife and I just recently got out of the yard where we did a bunch of work to our boat. I often read in various blogs about the mast step rotting…I kept an eye on my step, I knew that it was pretty bad but I didn’t know how bad it was until I removed it. Luckily it held out for one last 9 hour sail prior to replacing it. I talked to a friend with a 323 and his mast dropped 2” while under sail and that worried me even more. Another friend had his chain plates break again while under sail, needless to say it wasn’t pretty in either case. So while we were in the yard we replaced all of our chain plates, including the one on the bow (still had the 323 written on the bottom of it and it was a major pain to change out!!). We also replaced the mast step and cut out 2” of the mast. The bottom of the mast wasn’t too bad however, I cannot say the same about the step. While talking to my step fabricator I decided to go with the aluminum step (for dissimilar metals issues). Now I can’t wait to take it sailing again soon. Here are some pictures of what I experienced with mine. Happy Holidays!
Sid

ARICHE:
Hi guys.  I pulled my mast after the second season with ARICHE and had to cut two inches of mast off the bottom.  I then had a friend build a new step out of aircraft aluminum.  I bolstered with hard yellow plastic and replaced the three lag bolts with ones that were three and half inches longer.  I did that in 2008.  Not a bit of corrosion since. If anyone wants the name of the tool company in Ct. let me know
  You will have to send him the steel one and he will fabricate a new one for you.  The price will be between him and you.
Good luck.

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