Mast base making loud creaking noise?

[sgaber]

Posted by sgaber@…> (sgaber@…>)

Michel:

I’m certainly no Freedom expert, but I have a fari amount experience with boat
repairs.

I would not use auto body filler for that purpose. First of all, it has very
little strength. Secondly, it absorbs moisture. Thirdly, it’s not a very good
adhesive, especially on epoxy surfaces like the mast.

If I were gonna add a filler to the bottom, I’d rough it up with 60-grade paper
then use an epoxy like Marine-Tex. Or mix epoxy with silica or chopped
fiberglass or carbon powder to a paste-like consitency. Those would be
viritually waterproof and a lot stronger. Better adhesion, too.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL


---- “michel.capel” <michel.capel@…> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or so and use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down on the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots that don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make sure the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts back in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@…> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the mast base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of my mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and is not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting on the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to the end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt even harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy the sun and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast as well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the bottom of the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the noise went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003 group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

[michel.capel]

Posted by michel.capel (michel.capel@…>)

Steve,

You’re absolutely right in describing the low quality of most auto
body fillers. But if you use the kind with chopped strand glass mat
in it, it will certainly do the job of keeping the mast in it’s
spot. The fact that it doesn’t adhere to much is a plus, and at the
base of the mast, inside the boat, water obsorbsion should not be a
big issue. If Nhat has some epoxy filler lying around, he could
certainly use that, but perhaps he cannot purchase that in Puerto
Vallarte. And in my previous boat, auto body filler did the job for
at least 7 years.

Michel


— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@…> wrote:

Michel:

I’m certainly no Freedom expert, but I have a fari amount
experience with boat repairs.

I would not use auto body filler for that purpose. First of all,
it has very little strength. Secondly, it absorbs moisture. Thirdly,
it’s not a very good adhesive, especially on epoxy surfaces like the
mast.

If I were gonna add a filler to the bottom, I’d rough it up with
60-grade paper then use an epoxy like Marine-Tex. Or mix epoxy with
silica or chopped fiberglass or carbon powder to a paste-like
consitency. Those would be viritually waterproof and a lot
stronger. Better adhesion, too.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL

---- “michel.capel” <michel.capel@…> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or so and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down on the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and is not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting on the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy the sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the bottom of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

[Nhat_Khong]

Posted by Nhat Khong (nhatkhong1@…>)

Thank you both.

Yes, I do not believe I should let the problem persist; structurally
it is damaging. But, at the same, it is as Geoff stated it happens
more at anchor or motoring without sales and given the location of
where I am, I feel much more comfortable knowing that Geoff went 2+
years w/o diaster. At this point I have decided to just reinforce it
without having the mast lift. 2X4 wedge is one idea there are others
in the forum that I will also try as well. I hope this bandage will
hold until I reach the US. And that also means I should be sailing
more instead of motoring.

Thank you very much for your advice and input! All greatly
appreciated.

-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Geoffrey Schultz”
<geoff.freedom@…> wrote:

I first experienced this sound while moving my boat from Rhode
Island
to the BVIs. To describe this noise as a scary noise is an
understatement. Luckily Dave Balfour was able to put my mind at
ease, but when I first heard it I thought that the mast was
cracking
apart.

I put up with the creaking for 2+ years which included doing a
circumnavigation of the Caribbean and finally bringing it back to
FL
where I did major equipment upgrades. This was the first place
that
I felt secure having the mast pulled and glassing the base of the
mast. While listening to the creaking was unpleasant, nothing bad
happened to the mast and we went through some HEAVY weather. I
mainly heard the creaking at anchor or when motoring without the
sails up. The sails tend to provide enough loading to keep the
mast
from moving.

Upon thinking further about intermediate steps that I took to
mitigate the creaking, I took (2) 2x4s and cut a radius which
matched
the base of the mast. The 2x4s were wedged between the fiberglass
well that the mast base sits in and the mast. This significantly
reduced the motion.

I will quote the OP “I am in the midst of cruising from Los Angeles
to New Orleans via the Panama and is currently in Puerto Vallarta.
Repairs will be much more difficult here. Anyone have a solution
for
this?”

I’ve studied this route as I’ve contemplated doing the reverse
route
and know that there’s really nowhere to get this done along the
Pacific coast and there’s no where that I’d suggest between the
Panama Canal and the US. Perhaps in Panama City, but I’ve only
been
there briefly after moving a boat through the Canal.

While I agree that the point loading is an issue, my experience is
that it isn’t a critical issue that needs immediate attention given
the authors remote location.

– Geoff

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “katorpus” <jrb@> wrote:

I will respectfully disagree with Geoff in that I feel that it IS
a “structural issue”…and a structural concern. Here’s why:

Each time you get the “clunk” of the mast base sliding to one
extreme
or another, you have an equivalent “point loading” impact of the
mast
wall against the “chock blocks” at the level of the deck
penetration.

It’s really not much different than if you left the wedges and
sealant
out (at the deck level) and permitted the mast to “bang” side to
side
against the deck collar.

This is a very different force than the pressure which is applied
at
the same spot by the forces inducing mast bend and is, in effect,
ADDED
to those same forces.

You wouldn’t beat repeatedly against the same spot in your mast
with a
ball-peen hammer, but that is, in essence what’s happening here.

Degradation or softening of the mast wall at that place would be
the
most critical location for it to occur, and could hasten or
induce
mast
failure…maybe at a most inopportune time somewhere down the
line.

The mast base NEEDS to be anchored firmly. Not only does it
prevent
the
impact loading, it adds structural rigidity to the entire boat.

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Geoffrey Schultz”
<geoff.freedom@> wrote:

I will state that I don’t think that this is a safety issue.
It’s
very
annoying and may keep you awake, but I don’t think that it’s a
structural issue.

– Geoff

[Nhat_Khong]

Posted by Nhat Khong (nhatkhong1@…>)

Thank you all for your input.

Is it possible to lift my mast 1 inch without a crank? Right now I’m
looking for a bandaid solution for this problem until I return to the
US. That means I wont be able to have the mast lifted with a crank.


Right now I intend to do two things:

1. Use a 2x4 wedge ring at the base fo the mast
2. use a sleeve or somehow edge the base bolt more tightly.

Any other ideas?

-Nhat


— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@…> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or so and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down on the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots that don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make sure the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts back in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the mast base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of my mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and is not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting on the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to the end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy the sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast as well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the bottom of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003 group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

[Fargo_Rousseau]

Posted by Fargo Rousseau (fargo_r@…>)
Hi Nhat:I hope you got my long email about his problem and that it was helpful. Let me review one point that you make in this email. The mast base movement and noise occurs mostly when motoring without sails and rolling at anchor. That was my experience on our Mull F30. I could not pull the mast to do the “final” solution for a while so I learned to live with it…but slowly developed a tactic that eliminated the annoyance. When motoring and at anchor I put a big transverse load on the top of the mast. We routinely attached the main halyard shackle to the starboard rail outboard of the main sheet traveler, near the widest part of the boat. If your halyard is not long enough then extend it so that you can put a big load on it. Then winch down on the halyard tight. This will load the top of the mast to starboard (and aft a little) which will load the base of the mast to port (and forward a bit)…and stop most of the
movement and therefore the noise and wear. Technically, I am convinced that this is a benign problem. The mast will never come apart and the mast step is not going to move…or wear out, at least not on a Mull design. But it does scare the hell out of you (under the conditions that often bring it to our attention…big seas, rolling deeply, etc)…and it wears on the nerves. Give this mast loading idea a try.FargoEx F30 #12N

[Nhat_Khong]

Posted by Nhat Khong (nhatkhong1@…>)

Steve and Michel,

Thank you both for your inputs. But, I do not want a permanent
solution with expoxy since it may be hard to remove the mast when I
need to. However, Michel’s suggestion may work as an added bandaid
for this problem. At least filling the mast with something that
would mold and wont stick and might work to prevent it from moving.

I can just remove the bolt and start filling and even drill a bolt
hole thru the material. I will consider the auto body fill but also
possibly look into other material as well.

Once again, thank you both!
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@…> wrote:

Steve,

You’re absolutely right in describing the low quality of most auto
body fillers. But if you use the kind with chopped strand glass mat
in it, it will certainly do the job of keeping the mast in it’s
spot. The fact that it doesn’t adhere to much is a plus, and at the
base of the mast, inside the boat, water obsorbsion should not be a
big issue. If Nhat has some epoxy filler lying around, he could
certainly use that, but perhaps he cannot purchase that in Puerto
Vallarte. And in my previous boat, auto body filler did the job
for
at least 7 years.

Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@> wrote:

Michel:

I’m certainly no Freedom expert, but I have a fari amount
experience with boat repairs.

I would not use auto body filler for that purpose. First of all,
it has very little strength. Secondly, it absorbs moisture.
Thirdly,
it’s not a very good adhesive, especially on epoxy surfaces like
the
mast.

If I were gonna add a filler to the bottom, I’d rough it up with
60-grade paper then use an epoxy like Marine-Tex. Or mix epoxy
with
silica or chopped fiberglass or carbon powder to a paste-like
consitency. Those would be viritually waterproof and a lot
stronger. Better adhesion, too.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL

---- “michel.capel” <michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or so
and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down on
the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re
rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant
clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and is
not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that
starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting on
the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut
done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to
the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the
screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy the
sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the bottom
of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the
noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood
wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that
route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the
mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting
wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

[sgaber]

Posted by sgaber@…> (sgaber@…>)

Nhat:

I didn’tmean you should epoxy the mast in place. I meant that you could fill in
the uneven spots and seal the bottom with the epoxy. You could put wax paper of
vaseline in there to keep the eopxy from sticking to places where you don’t want
it.

I think epoxy ois the answer to many of the world’s problems. Give me some
epoxy, a little fiberglass, a psir of vice grips, some duct tape, WD-40 and I
can fix almost anything.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL



---- Nhat Khong <nhatkhong1@…> wrote:

Steve and Michel,

Thank you both for your inputs. But, I do not want a permanent
solution with expoxy since it may be hard to remove the mast when I
need to. However, Michel’s suggestion may work as an added bandaid
for this problem. At least filling the mast with something that
would mold and wont stick and might work to prevent it from moving.

I can just remove the bolt and start filling and even drill a bolt
hole thru the material. I will consider the auto body fill but also
possibly look into other material as well.

Once again, thank you both!
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@…> wrote:

Steve,

You’re absolutely right in describing the low quality of most auto
body fillers. But if you use the kind with chopped strand glass mat
in it, it will certainly do the job of keeping the mast in it’s
spot. The fact that it doesn’t adhere to much is a plus, and at the
base of the mast, inside the boat, water obsorbsion should not be a
big issue. If Nhat has some epoxy filler lying around, he could
certainly use that, but perhaps he cannot purchase that in Puerto
Vallarte. And in my previous boat, auto body filler did the job
for
at least 7 years.

Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@> wrote:

Michel:

I’m certainly no Freedom expert, but I have a fari amount
experience with boat repairs.

I would not use auto body filler for that purpose. First of all,
it has very little strength. Secondly, it absorbs moisture.
Thirdly,
it’s not a very good adhesive, especially on epoxy surfaces like
the
mast.

If I were gonna add a filler to the bottom, I’d rough it up with
60-grade paper then use an epoxy like Marine-Tex. Or mix epoxy
with
silica or chopped fiberglass or carbon powder to a paste-like
consitency. Those would be viritually waterproof and a lot
stronger. Better adhesion, too.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL

---- “michel.capel” <michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or so
and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down on
the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re
rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant
clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and is
not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that
starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting on
the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut
done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to
the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the
screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy the
sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the bottom
of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the
noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood
wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that
route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the
mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting
wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

–

[michel.capel]

Posted by michel.capel (michel.capel@…>)

Nhat,

If you could construct a temporary tripod from three poles (perhaps
long oars) you could lift your mast 1 foot to access the base. You
could attach the tripod legs to the bow hardware and to the footrail
port and strbrd. As long as you don’t lift the mast too high, this
can be done without risking the mast falling over. Of course you
stabilize the mast with three halyards too.

Best of luck.
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@…> wrote:

Thank you all for your input.

Is it possible to lift my mast 1 inch without a crank? Right now
I’m
looking for a bandaid solution for this problem until I return to
the
US. That means I wont be able to have the mast lifted with a
crank.

Right now I intend to do two things:

1. Use a 2x4 wedge ring at the base fo the mast
2. use a sleeve or somehow edge the base bolt more tightly.

Any other ideas?

-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or so and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down on the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and is not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting on the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy the sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the bottom of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

[brigup1]

Posted by brigup (sailordude@…>)

Please, be cautious, the balance point for these masts is typically about 4/10 of the distance up from the base. A tripod may be stable with adequate poles, but how do you keep the mast from twisting and cocking over to one side? Lacking a tabernacle to prevent twisting, this is HIGH RISK. Please take video, you may be able to recover costs if one of those TV disaster shows buys the film.

Sorry Michel, but I am very concerned about this suggestion.

Brian


On 2/4/08 10:15 AM, “michel.capel” <michel.capel@…> wrote:

\

Nhat,

If you could construct a temporary tripod from three poles (perhaps
long oars) you could lift your mast 1 foot to access the base. You
could attach the tripod legs to the bow hardware and to the footrail
port and strbrd. As long as you don’t lift the mast too high, this
can be done without risking the mast falling over. Of course you
stabilize the mast with three halyards too.

Best of luck.
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@…> wrote:

Thank you all for your input.

Is it possible to lift my mast 1 inch without a crank? Right now
I’m
looking for a bandaid solution for this problem until I return to
the
US. That means I wont be able to have the mast lifted with a
crank.

Right now I intend to do two things:

1. Use a 2x4 wedge ring at the base fo the mast
2. use a sleeve or somehow edge the base bolt more tightly.

Any other ideas?

-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or so and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down on the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and is not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting on the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy the sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the bottom of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

\

[michel.capel]

Posted by michel.capel (michel.capel@…>)

Brian,
I didn’t say there were no risks! ;^P But here in Europe we don’t
have to mention that with every advice we give, to prevent we get
sued afterwards. Of course, if there’s a crane available in
Vallarte, including a cautious and knowledgeable operator, that’s
much better than a tripod.

michel


— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, brigup <sailordude@…>
wrote:

Please, be cautious, the balance point for these masts is
typically about
4/10 of the distance up from the base. A tripod may be stable
with adequate
poles, but how do you keep the mast from twisting and cocking over
to one
side? Lacking a tabernacle to prevent twisting, this is HIGH
RISK. Please
take video, you may be able to recover costs if one of those TV
disaster
shows buys the film.

Sorry Michel, but I am very concerned about this suggestion.

Brian

On 2/4/08 10:15 AM, “michel.capel” <michel.capel@…> wrote:

Nhat,

If you could construct a temporary tripod from three poles
(perhaps
long oars) you could lift your mast 1 foot to access the base.
You
could attach the tripod legs to the bow hardware and to the
footrail
port and strbrd. As long as you don’t lift the mast too high,
this
can be done without risking the mast falling over. Of course you
stabilize the mast with three halyards too.

Best of luck.
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Thank you all for your input.

Is it possible to lift my mast 1 inch without a crank? Right
now
I’m
looking for a bandaid solution for this problem until I
return to
the
US. That means I wont be able to have the mast lifted with a
crank.

Right now I intend to do two things:

1. Use a 2x4 wedge ring at the base fo the mast
2. use a sleeve or somehow edge the base bolt more tightly.

Any other ideas?

-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or
so and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive
filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down
on the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots
that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make
sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside
the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts
back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the
mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re
rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against
the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant
clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side
of my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and
is not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that
starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting
on the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer
cut done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me
to the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix?
Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt
even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up
the screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy
the sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I
suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the
mast as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the
bottom of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to
shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and
the noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood
wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go
that route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that
you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing
the mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the
2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or
cutting wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

[Nhat_Khong]

Posted by Nhat Khong (nhatkhong1@…>)

Steve,

Ok got it. Thanks!

-Nhat
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@…> wrote:

Nhat:

I didn’tmean you should epoxy the mast in place. I meant that you
could fill in the uneven spots and seal the bottom with the epoxy.
You could put wax paper of vaseline in there to keep the eopxy from
sticking to places where you don’t want it.

I think epoxy ois the answer to many of the world’s problems. Give
me some epoxy, a little fiberglass, a psir of vice grips, some duct
tape, WD-40 and I can fix almost anything.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL

---- Nhat Khong <nhatkhong1@…> wrote:

Steve and Michel,

Thank you both for your inputs. But, I do not want a permanent
solution with expoxy since it may be hard to remove the mast when
I
need to. However, Michel’s suggestion may work as an added
bandaid
for this problem. At least filling the mast with something that
would mold and wont stick and might work to prevent it from
moving.

I can just remove the bolt and start filling and even drill a
bolt
hole thru the material. I will consider the auto body fill but
also
possibly look into other material as well.

Once again, thank you both!
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@> wrote:

Steve,

You’re absolutely right in describing the low quality of most
auto
body fillers. But if you use the kind with chopped strand glass
mat
in it, it will certainly do the job of keeping the mast in it’s
spot. The fact that it doesn’t adhere to much is a plus, and at
the
base of the mast, inside the boat, water obsorbsion should not
be a
big issue. If Nhat has some epoxy filler lying around, he could
certainly use that, but perhaps he cannot purchase that in
Puerto
Vallarte. And in my previous boat, auto body filler did the
job
for
at least 7 years.

Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@> wrote:

Michel:

I’m certainly no Freedom expert, but I have a fari amount
experience with boat repairs.

I would not use auto body filler for that purpose. First of
all,
it has very little strength. Secondly, it absorbs moisture.
Thirdly,
it’s not a very good adhesive, especially on epoxy surfaces
like
the
mast.

If I were gonna add a filler to the bottom, I’d rough it up
with
60-grade paper then use an epoxy like Marine-Tex. Or mix epoxy
with
silica or chopped fiberglass or carbon powder to a paste-like
consitency. Those would be viritually waterproof and a lot
stronger. Better adhesion, too.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL

---- “michel.capel” <michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or
so
and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive
filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down
on
the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots
that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make
sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside
the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts
back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the
mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re
rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud vibrant
clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side of
my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor and
is
not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that
starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just sitting
on
the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer cut
done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me to
the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix? Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt
even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up the
screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy
the
sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I
suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the mast
as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the
bottom
of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to
shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and the
noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood
wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go that
route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that you
can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing the
mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the 2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or cutting
wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

–

[Nhat_Khong]

Posted by Nhat Khong (nhatkhong1@…>)

Brian/Michael,

Thank you both. After I add all the bandaid fixes I received I will
reassess the situation and see if the problem persists concerningly.

Thank you very much!
-Nhat



— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@…> wrote:

Brian,
I didn’t say there were no risks! ;^P But here in Europe we don’t
have to mention that with every advice we give, to prevent we get
sued afterwards. Of course, if there’s a crane available in
Vallarte, including a cautious and knowledgeable operator, that’s
much better than a tripod.

michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, brigup <sailordude@>
wrote:

Please, be cautious, the balance point for these masts is
typically about
4/10 of the distance up from the base. A tripod may be stable
with adequate
poles, but how do you keep the mast from twisting and cocking
over
to one
side? Lacking a tabernacle to prevent twisting, this is HIGH
RISK. Please
take video, you may be able to recover costs if one of those TV
disaster
shows buys the film.

Sorry Michel, but I am very concerned about this suggestion.

Brian

On 2/4/08 10:15 AM, “michel.capel” <michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

If you could construct a temporary tripod from three poles
(perhaps
long oars) you could lift your mast 1 foot to access the base.
You
could attach the tripod legs to the bow hardware and to the
footrail
port and strbrd. As long as you don’t lift the mast too high,
this
can be done without risking the mast falling over. Of course you
stabilize the mast with three halyards too.

Best of luck.
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Thank you all for your input.

Is it possible to lift my mast 1 inch without a crank?
Right
now
I’m
looking for a bandaid solution for this problem until I
return to
the
US. That means I wont be able to have the mast lifted with a
crank.

Right now I intend to do two things:

1. Use a 2x4 wedge ring at the base fo the mast
2. use a sleeve or somehow edge the base bolt more tightly.

Any other ideas?

-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “michel.capel”
<michel.capel@> wrote:

Nhat,

Perhaps you can fix it yourself by lifting the mast 1’ or
so and
use
a beltsander to even out the mast base. It will never be
perfectly
square, but if you put 2 component polyester automotive
filler
inside the mast collar on the floor and sit the mast down
on the
soft filler, the filler will harden underneath the spots
that
don’t
touch the base. That will do, I think. And of course make
sure
the
mast base is totally locked and doesnt move around inside
the
collar. Use polyester filler to do that and put the bolts
back
in.

good luck,
Michel

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “Nhat Khong”
<nhatkhong1@> wrote:

Hello Lance all other owners that responded,

First off I greatly appreciate all your input. I found
Lance’s
reply
most accurately describes my situation.

I do have one crew and was able to take a look at the
mast
base.
Under stressful conditions, even at anchor, when we’re
rocking
from
side to side the mast moves slightly and rubs against
the
bottom.
It
basically scoots to one side and creates a loud
vibrant
clank.

I do believe, as Lance pointed out, the starboard side
of my
mast
base appears to be harder pressed against the floor
and
is not
square. My question is then will lazer cutting that
starboard
side
help? does it mean that the mast is really just
sitting
on the
thru
bolt instead of the floor? How does one get a lazer
cut done,
especially in Puerto Vallarta of all places anyway :)?

Any ideas for an easy temporary fix that will carry me
to the
end
of
my journey back to the States where I can get it fix?
Or
maybe
just
living with the noise? Any opinions?

My first thought is now to just tighten the thru bolt
even
harder,
but I fear overtightening it and possibly tearing up
the screw
threads.

My last and final choice is just to sit back and enjoy
the sun
and
some beer and pray to the wind and water gods… I
suppose?

Thanks and please advise,
-Nhat

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup%40yahoogroups.com , “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:

Nhat,
on Glory, the PO had creaking and noises from the
mast as
well.
During
a refit at Paul Dennis’s yard, Paul found that the
bottom of
the
mast
was not quite square, which was causing the mast to
shift
slightly.
They made a laser cut to square up the bottom and
the noise
went
away.

Also, I would use caution if you decide to use wood
wedges -
they
were
never recommended by Freedom or TPI. If you do go
that route
because of
a lack of other materials, use many wedges so that
you can
distribute
the compression loads, otherwise you risk crushing
the mast
tube.
Your
best bet is to search the archives here and on the
2003
group
for
references to either pourable polyurethane or
cutting wedges
from
polyurethane block - 76 durometer if memory serves.

Good luck!

Lance

[Nhat_Khong]

Posted by Nhat Khong (nhatkhong1@…>)

Great Advice Fargo!! I will give it a try. Thanks!

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, Fargo Rousseau
<fargo_r@…> wrote:

Hi Nhat:

I hope you got my long email about his problem and that it was
helpful. Let me review one point that you make in this email. The
mast base movement and noise occurs mostly when motoring without
sails and rolling at anchor. That was my experience on our Mull
F30.

I could not pull the mast to do the “final” solution for a while so
I learned to live with it…but slowly developed a tactic that
eliminated the annoyance. When motoring and at anchor I put a big
transverse load on the top of the mast. We routinely attached the
main halyard shackle to the starboard rail outboard of the main sheet
traveler, near the widest part of the boat. If your halyard is not
long enough then extend it so that you can put a big load on it.
Then winch down on the halyard tight. This will load the top of the
mast to starboard (and aft a little) which will load the base of the
mast to port (and forward a bit)…and stop most of the movement and
therefore the noise and wear.

Technically, I am convinced that this is a benign problem. The
mast will never come apart and the mast step is not going to
move…or wear out, at least not on a Mull design. But it does
scare the hell out of you (under the conditions that often bring it
to our attention…big seas, rolling deeply, etc)…and it wears on
the nerves. Give this mast loading idea a try.

Fargo
Ex F30 #12

N

[Lola_Jackson]

Posted by Lola Jackson (lolaltd@…>)
Hi Folks,I will be picking up my just purchased Mull F30 in about a week after having upgrades done to it. Is this noise subject a characteristic of the Mull F 30? Should I have the yard check it out before I even get my boat? We did not hear any unusual noise during the Sea Trial.Please advise. Thank you LolaNhat Khong <nhatkhong1@…> wrote: Great Advice Fargo!! I will give it a try. Thanks! — In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, Fargo
Rousseau <fargo_r@…> wrote: > > Hi Nhat: > > I hope you got my long email about his problem and that it was helpful. Let me review one point that you make in this email. The mast base movement and noise occurs mostly when motoring without sails and rolling at anchor. That was my experience on our Mull F30. > > I could not pull the mast to do the “final” solution for a while so I learned to live with it…but slowly developed a tactic that eliminated the annoyance. When motoring and at anchor I put a big transverse load on the top of the mast. We routinely attached the main halyard shackle to the starboard rail outboard of the main sheet traveler, near the widest part of the boat. If your halyard is not long enough then extend it so that you can put a big load on it. Then winch down on the halyard tight. This will load the top of the mast to
starboard (and aft a little) which will load the base of the mast to port (and forward a bit)…and stop most of the movement and therefore the noise and wear. > > Technically, I am convinced that this is a benign problem. The mast will never come apart and the mast step is not going to move…or wear out, at least not on a Mull design. But it does scare the hell out of you (under the conditions that often bring it to our attention…big seas, rolling deeply, etc)…and it wears on the nerves. Give this mast loading idea a try. > > Fargo > Ex F30 #12 > > N >
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[Rick_Higgens]

Posted by Rick Higgens (higgens@…>)

Lola, this condition can happen throughout the Freedom line of boats.
And I would guess any un-stayed mast boats. There’s a lot of mast
length and weight above the deck, and a small amount below, which
exerts tremendous power/pressure between the deck and the mast base.
That said, if the mast is snug on the base, sits square, and has the
rubber tubing over the through bolt, then the design should handle
that side to side motion. I have Fargo’s Mull F30 and the reason he
had selected the boatyard he did, the winter I bought the boat from
him was to have Paul Dennis correct this problem on this boat. I
haven’t had any problems since then (knock on wood).

If you have your mast out for any other work then inspection of the
base, mast and through-bolt would be a good idea (as well as wiring,
lights, etc).

If not, you could ask the previous owner if they ever had this
problem. A properly fitted mast shouldn’t move. While you are
talking to him, you might want to ask when the last time was that the
mast was pulled and inspected. If it’s been a long time (10+ years)
and you’ve got it on the hard anyway, it might be a good time to pull
it, have the wiring inspected, maybe upgrade the lights, and put a
couple coats of wax on it (which goes pretty fast when the mast is on
blocks).

But be aware, pulling the mast is a fair amount of work so sometimes
the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rule applies.

Rick, F30 #12 Nauti-Belle

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, Lola Jackson <lolaltd@…>
wrote:

Hi Folks,
I will be picking up my just purchased Mull F30 in about a week
after having upgrades done to it. Is this noise subject a
characteristic of the Mull F 30? Should I have the yard check it out
before I even get my boat? We did not hear any unusual noise during
the Sea Trial.

[Lola_Jackson]

Posted by Lola Jackson (lolaltd@…>)
Thanks Rick, best leave alone. I thank you for your reply.LolaRick Higgens <higgens@…> wrote: Lola, this condition can happen throughout the Freedom line of boats. And I would guess any un-stayed mast boats. There’s a lot of mast length and weight above the deck, and a small amount below, which exerts tremendous power/pressure between the deck and the mast base. That said, if the mast is snug on the base, sits square, and has the rubber tubing over the through bolt, then the design should handle that side to side
motion. I have Fargo’s Mull F30 and the reason he had selected the boatyard he did, the winter I bought the boat from him was to have Paul Dennis correct this problem on this boat. I haven’t had any problems since then (knock on wood). If you have your mast out for any other work then inspection of the base, mast and through-bolt would be a good idea (as well as wiring, lights, etc). If not, you could ask the previous owner if they ever had this problem. A properly fitted mast shouldn’t move. While you are talking to him, you might want to ask when the last time was that the mast was pulled and inspected. If it’s been a long time (10+ years) and you’ve got it on the hard anyway, it might be a good time to pull it, have the wiring inspected, maybe upgrade the lights, and put a couple coats of wax on it (which goes pretty fast when the mast is on blocks). But be aware, pulling the mast is a
fair amount of work so sometimes the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rule applies. Rick, F30 #12 Nauti-Belle — In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, Lola Jackson <lolaltd@…> wrote: > > Hi Folks, > I will be picking up my just purchased Mull F30 in about a week after having upgrades done to it. Is this noise subject a characteristic of the Mull F 30? Should I have the yard check it out before I even get my boat? We did not hear any unusual noise during the Sea Trial. >
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