Posted by kfffreemail (kfffreemail@…>)
Hello-
I have an '87 F-30 with a folding step to get to the top of the
main when it’s being stowed in the boot. The step is apparently
riveted into the mast, and has some glue as well. Problem is that the
step appears to be coming off the mast a bit…any experience with
this, and/or suggested solutions?
thanks
Posted by Al Lorman (ajl@…>)
I
had the same problem with the steps on my F30. I drilled out the loose
pop rivets and installed new ones. When I added an additional mast step,
I used some 5200 as well as pop rivets.
Al
Lorman
F30
Ab Initio
From:
FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of kfffreemail
Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 8:12 PM
To: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [FreedomOwnersGroup] F30 Mast Step
\
Hello-
I have an '87 F-30 with a folding step to get to the top of the
main when it’s being stowed in the boot. The step is apparently
riveted into the mast, and has some glue as well. Problem is that the
step appears to be coming off the mast a bit…any experience with
this, and/or suggested solutions?
thanks
\
Posted by katorpus (jrb@…>)
Consider the following:
Apparently, the rivets have been insufficient to withstand the weight x
however many times the step has been used over the last 20 years…
This resulted in the rivets “loosening”…which may be a factor of the
rivet “stretching” back towards its original shape and/or the failure
of the “hole”.
Continued use of the step will be detrimental to the mast, as the loose
rivet will try to “expand” the hole and may well pull through.
Discontinue use of the loose step immediately.
Consider fabricating a “base” for the step which will allow you to
spread the stress of the weight on the mast attachment over more rivets.
This would consist of a “plate” bent to conform to the outside curve of
the mast at the attachment point. The plate should be something pretty
sturdy (like stainless steel) and thick enough to be able
to “counterbore” the back side in order to anchor the step to the mast
with flat head machine screws from the backside. Acorn nuts would be a
nice thing to cap them with on the “outside”.
The plate would then be bored around the circumference with more holes
than are presently holding the step to the mast. Once properly located,
you’d then bore holes into the mast for the rivets to attach the plate.
Don’t get carried away here, as more holes in the mast are not a good
thing. Consider that doubling the number of rivets (over what you have
presently) will halve the stress on each rivet.
I’d seal the whole thing to the mast with silicone before installing
the step and its base. Mask the whole mounting area, hold the plate in
place, mark around it, then cut out the area of tape behind the plate.
Let the silicone cure after the rivets are installed, then trim the
excess at the edge of the plate and remove the tape beneath
the “squished out” silicone.
Don’t use aluminum rivets. If the plate is stainless steel, use
stainless steel rivets. If it’s anything else, use Monel rivets.
It may be that your (maybe not aluminum) mast step was installed
originally with aluminum rivets, in which case, electrolysis began on
the day the boat was first launched. If this is the case, you may be
able to “buy” more than another 20 years of trouble free use by simply
drilling out the rivets and replacing them with (properly sized)
stainless steel rivets.
Hope this helps.
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “kfffreemail”
<kfffreemail@…> wrote:
Hello-
I have an '87 F-30 with a folding step to get to the top of the
main when it’s being stowed in the boot. The step is apparently
riveted into the mast, and has some glue as well. Problem is that the
step appears to be coming off the mast a bit…any experience with
this, and/or suggested solutions?thanks
Posted by George Huffman (thatboatguy2@…>)
Hi all,
Well Marquesa is in the water now in her new slip. She is the first
girl to show up at the newly re-built dock. Before we left the travel
lift well, I got down on both knees and popped the question. She said
yes!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p33f1d9be562bfda538b1c40d8d851df6/e\
7da3d69.jpg
The centerboard did not turn out to be as bad as I thought so we wire
brushed it, ospho-ed it, barrier coated it, and bottom painted it. We
will drop it and do a proper job next summer.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p3036269497819542a34a7da1a28cee2f/e\
7e55c20.jpg
So you are now reading of the happiest and luckiest man you know!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pa08b0508abe0a2b6456265750e914490/e\
7da3d0c.jpg
So my next series of questions concerning the Freedom 40 will concern
electronics installations.
I have the aluminum masts. Any prohibition against drilling holes for
radar mount and lead through for running the cable internal the mast?
What do I do about a long wire antenna for our single side band?
Anyone use one of the running fore stays on the mizzen? (anyone else
have those?)
Thanks for all the help.
George
P.S. I inspected the pulleys and wires and the attachment point at
the centerboard and found them all sound. I replaced the electric
winch in the engine compartment and it raises/lowers the board just
fine with no apparent strain.