Mast Step Gap question...

just installed my mast step and dolphin striker, and theres a small gap underneath the mast step...enough to let light through, but its rivted down tight to the crossbar...is this OK?

_________________
==========================
1981 Hobie 16
1982 Hobie 14 turbo (sold)
1996 SeaDoo GTI
1999 Hunter 340

I just replaced the mast step on my 1980 hobie 16 last weekend and I came across the same problem. This is what I learned. The mast step has a small lip on the aft facing edge which is supposed to fit down over the aft edge of the crossbar. If this lip is not down where it belongs, it will cause the step to fit poorly (gap underneath) and not follow the curve of the crossbar. If you have an older boat like me, when you compare the old and new mast steps, it is apparent that the new one is a bit different. The new mast step is a bit wider and also is angled aft a bit more to allow for more mast rake. The problem that I had arose when I tried to drive the step into position after I had screwed it on to the dolphin striker post. The location of the dolphin striker post hole on the top of the crossbar was too far forward and forcing the new step forward causing the lip not to fit where it belongs. While the old mast step fit, the new one would not.
With mine, in order to get the step to fit properly, I had to use a rat tail file to elongate the upper dolphin striker post hole in the crossbar a bit aft. I filed out around about 3/16" before the step lip would fit over the aft edge of the crossbar.
I was lucky to come across a procedure written by Matt Miller which was very helpful which explains this in much more detail. The link is as follows:

http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/h1 ... eplace.pdf

Of course, this fix raised other issues (everything I touch on this boat raises other issues) which you may or may not encounter. Check out my post from last week titled "new mast step and mast base causing problems". Sounds like you already have it riveted down though and to drill out the rivets and move it would be a pain, not to mention where to put the new rivets so that you don't hit an existing hole in the crossbar. As far as whether or not it is ok like this, I don't see why not since the rivets are in shear, but probably someone more qualified should answer that.

Good luck,
Don

Hi, I have an old H16 and my Mast step has been there since new and it's not a perfect fit,I don't see a problem with a fine line, Light can go through a hair line crack,that you would probably not see with your eye,Not everything is Perfect, Micro measurements are only used in space shuttles.