squeeky mast base

The mast base on my H18 squeeks like crazy when the mast is rotating (especially in choppy waves when the sail is not pulling & the mast is just flopping back and forth).

It is a fairly new mast base (had to replace it this year) and I tried spraying it with the teflon spray but it did not seem to help.

I read somewhere that there should be a teflon disc/washer between the black plastic mast base (part that rotates) and the aluminum base but this is not shown on the official Hobie parts list.

I am thinking about puting some waterproof grease under the black plastic part but wanted to get some opinions.

Thanks
Chet

Order a pack of Hobie 16 teflon mast discs, drill a hole through one of them and install it between the aluminum step and the plastic hemisphere. Give the other two to your favorite 16 sailor for his birthday.

sm

Benefit: The installation of a H16 mast wafer as discribed above increases the life of the teflon mast ball significantly as it now rotates w/ the mast ... as the ball and mast spins/rotates on the "frictionless" wafer below ....

Tacking/Jybing in light air is improved also as you no longer need to "kick" the mast around ....

(I use the extra H16 wafers to tighten up my Upper Rudder Casting to the Rudder Blade connection (pieces of a plastic milk bottle were not quite thick enough ....) to remove the slop .....

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

I did not have any H16 teflon wafers to try. I therefore put some good waterproof grease on the mast base. The black plastic hemisphere fits over a SS raised bushing that the screw threads into. The grease covered all surfaces. It appeared to work great on the sail yesterday and did not ooze out the sides like I was worried about. The mast rotated very easily.