Hello All,
Picture 1 shows the mast base stop which has contacted the step and "cammed up" out-of-the socket while rotating towards the viewer.
Picture 2 shows the mast stop rotated the opposite direction until the stop contacts the step limit. Note the lack of contact area between the two.
I measured the mast rake using the main halyard method. (I hope the method was correct). The keel at the transom measures 1" more than the point at the bow lip. My shrouds are at the second hole from the bottom of a seven hole chainplate. I understand this to be a significant amount of mast rake on the boat. Last season I did not notice any adverse tiller tug and the boat turns into the wind when "hands off". I also liked the ability to point higher.
I'm sure the mast rising out of the step socket is not a good thing. Do I:
1) Grind away the appropriate metal on the step to provide clearance, or
2) Decrease the mast rake and accept the decreased ability to point (better to foot anyway right?), or
3) Take my chances and let the step limit get knocked away like my last step? (See one of my previous threads where I tried to repair the step).
What do you think? Thanks for your time and opinion.