Thanks for clearing that up Lee. I'll take a drill with a bevel tip down with me tonight.
I only do the seal, semi-tighten, then fully tighten trick with bolts or other fittings that I can tighten without breaking that seal around the screw. This beveling tip is something new to me though, THANKS!!! So if my last resort to getting this step off is to cut that ground wire, there should be no harm done and no need to reinstall? Like I said I think it just goes from the mast to the keel bolt, so I don't think that provides a proper grounding to the water anyhow, unless I get a Catalina smile from sitting on the hard too long. lol. --- On Mon, 6/22/09, Lee Scott <[email protected]> wrote: From: Lee Scott <[email protected]> Subject: [IC27A] Re: Mast Step removal To: [email protected] Date: Monday, June 22, 2009, 2:11 PM Ivan, Me too on the simple project turning into a major 3-month renovation. It's called Shipwright's Disease. Goes something like this: Sailor owns boat. Boat has burned out light in galley. Sailor decides to change bulb. Sailor notices socket is corroded, decides to replace fixture. Sailor notices wiring frayed while replacing fixture. Sailor decides to replace wiring. Sailor notices galley ceiling slats are rotted while replacing the wire. Sailor decides galley ceiling slats need changing. Sailor notices ... This goes on and on and on and on and pretty soon, Sailor is undertaking a major renovation of his boat because of a burned out lightbulb. Anyway, it sounds as though someone has already modified the wiring at the mast step. The taped-off wires might be the original wires. I have no idea what the two-wires-to- one-terminal is all about. Basically, all you need is four wires - one (-) wire as a return, and 3 (+) wires for the masthead, steaming, and deck lights. The thick copper wire was almost certainly added later, as my boat doesn't have one. Some experts say definitely ground your mast, others say definitely don't do it. Bevel the hole in the deck, as it is your last line of defense. Water can get under the mast step and also under the mast organizer. The bevel allows the sealant to form a nice big o-ring around the shaft of the bolt. Don't do the trick where you lightly tighten the bolts until sealant starts to squeeze out, let the sealant cure, then come back and tighten down the rest of the way. All you'll do is break the seal around the bolts. Just seal it, tighten the bolts all the way, then leave it alone. Lee Scott '87 C-27 #6350 --- In ic...@yahoogroups. com, ivan <deweyweekender@ ...> wrote: > > Thanks Lee, > > I was really concerned about those bolts, but it sounds pretty simple. I > have had too many this looks simple let's just take care of it too, fixes > that have turned into projects of themselves during this project. I didn't > want this to be another one > > I'm a little concerned for these wires... there are about 9 wires sticking > out of the step. 5 go to the connector, (2 wires go to one terminal) 3 are > just taped off then there is a really thick stranded copper wire that has a > metal band crimped over it just as it exits the step. I'm guessing this is > the mast ground and it looks to go down to the keel. Do I have to release > and re-crimp the band to the wire? > > The deck has been dry and solid which is surprising since the reason for the > whole deck painting project was to do that when I had all of the deck > hardware off to re-bed so I could stop the leaks. Seems like most of my > problem was around the windows which had most of the coring rotted out. I > think the coring is 100% resin and filler now! But I regress, beveling out > the hole to make the sealant work better... do this beveling on the deck or > on the mast step? > > -Ivan > > > --- On Mon, 6/22/09, Lee Scott <lsc...@...> wrote: > > From: Lee Scott <lsc...@...> > Subject: [IC27A] Re: Mast Step removal > To: ic...@yahoogroups. com > Date: Monday, June 22, 2009, 10:41 AM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Removing and reinstalling the mast step is not difficult at all (I'm > assuming the mast is already down) You don't need to do anything with the > compression post, unless you're also going to replace the wiring to the mast. > Even then, it might (just barely) be possible to use the old wire to pull > the new one down to the bilge. The original wiring is not tinned marine > grade wire, so this would be a good time to replace it. > > > > Just remove the 4 lag bolts and get a sharp chisel or similar to slowly pry > up the step away from the deck. There should be a little slack in the wire > under the step to let you get the step loose, but you'll have to remove the > 4-pin connector at the end of the wire if you want to take it completely off. > You'll need a teeny-tiny screw driver to release the wires. > > > > While you've got the bolts out, it's a good time to check the deck core and > make sure you haven't had any moisture penetration. If you bevel the edges of > the holes with a countersink, the sealant you use will seal a lot better > against the bolts and be less likely to leak in the future. > > > > Lee Scott > > '87 C-27 #6350 > > > > --- In ic...@yahoogroups. com, ivan <deweyweekender@ ...> wrote: > > > > > > So I had to order hinges for the forward hatch since the pins just crumbled > > when I went to put them back on. While I was on CD I thought I would get > > the mast organizer off my wish list and onto the boat. Well when I went to > > the boat to finish some other deck hardware installations I looked at the > > mast step and wondered... > > > > > > How long is it going to take to get this one off and put this organizer > > back one? Do I have to to take out the support beam to do this? > > > > > > The bolts holding it on look like they have seen some effects of the > > environment and could be tricky to take off. So my questions are this from > > anybody who has tackled this job, how hard is it to get the old mast step > > off? Any tips or tricks? How hard is it to reinstall the new step? Any > > tips or tricks? What had to be done with the wiring to get it through the > > step, or to get the step off? > > > > > > All help is appreciated since I'm hoping to get her back in the water next > > week!!! FINALLY! > > > > > > --- On Sun, 6/21/09, Glenn <glenn.hagele@ ...> wrote: > > > > > > From: Glenn <glenn.hagele@ ...> > > > Subject: [IC27A] Re: boarding ladder > > > To: ic...@yahoogroups. com > > > Date: Sunday, June 21, 2009, 1:05 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps this is the ladder you seek. > > > > > > > > > > > > http://sfbay. craigslist. org/nby/boa/ 1229842337. html > > > > > > > > > > > > http://sfbay. craigslist. org/eby/boa/ 1222976184. html > > > >
