Hobie 16 Mast crack

Anyone run into problems with their mast on a older H16 ? i have a 83 model that has developed a vertical crack just above the downhaul. The groove where the boom attaches has also widened to a point where the chrome piece will not stay in the mast on its own. I suspect I will have to find a replacement mast but I was wondering if anyone has experienced this. Mast stays up in the winter here in Ontario Canada. I noticed the groove getting larger over the past few years but the crack is new this year.

First time using this forum , I would like to attach a picture, but not sure how.

If anyone has a used mast for sale near Peterborough Ont. I would be interested

Ice ice baby...

Water runs down the sail track in winter and ice accumulates just above the downhaul cleat. expansion from the freezing water can push the sail track open.

The damage can be partially repaired with a blunt object. I used a sledge hammer and piece of wood but a meticulous person may prefer to use C-clamps and wood blocks. You will also want to seal the crack. It is easier to do this before whacking the track back into shape, but you run the risk of damaging the seal repair. Alternatively you can seal it after you whack the track, but there won't be much space to get in and repair it. A third option is move the foam plug sealing off most of the mast and leave the crack open.

1) Drill a 5/16 hole in the mast track at the top of the crack.
2) Remove the mast base and shove the foam plug just beyond the new hole.
3) Step your mast upside-down against the roof of your house.
4) Get up on your roof with a can of great stuff big gap filler.
5) Inject enough great stuff through the hole to completely cover the foam plug, but not much more. Great stuff needs to air cure so if you shoot in too much you will be left with a large uncured blob of great stuff. If you overdo it a little, fear not as a small uncured blob is not an issue.

When I repaired my mast I tried to seal the crack before whacking the track. After the track was whacked I found my seal repair was damaged. I then came up with the 3rd option. It worked great. My track repair was partially effective. The downhaul is less effective than it used to be as the track is beat up and rough, but the gooseneck stays in the track. In terms of mast strength nothing is compromised. This part of the mast sees very low stresses, and a lengthwise crack is unlikely to propagate.