Mast step, what's wrong here?

Ok, so I've been sailing my H16 for about 4 years now and just now realized that the dolphin striker should not stick up through the mast step. Oops.

The mast always kinda bounced up and down until I raised the jib and pulled the jib halyard tight.

Guess I should replace the mast step... Do I also need a new dolphin striker?

Probably not. Looks like the threads are not that messed up. Clean them up with a wire brush and use WD-40 as a thread lubricant when threading on the new mast step.

How did it sail with the mast bouncy like that?

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

mantaray - Better check your mast base - bottom of your mast.
I might be wrong but your mast step doesn't look that bad to me. Probably little, if any, wear since the dolphin striker was sticking up so much through the mast step.
Was there a problem of over rotation of the mast. I wonder if the stops on the mast step and mast base were ever engaged.
Did you buy this boat second hand? Highly unlikely that this was done by the factory during the original installation. Most likely this was done fairly recently during a mast step/mast base replacement.
Please keep us informed - interesting!
Richard

Your mast step shows more wear this morning on my iPad than it did last night on my desktop computer. Also, the threads on the dolphin striker are past the threads on the mast step. The threads on both should match up very snugly. If not, then you'll definitely have to replace the mast step. If you're lucky then that's all you'll have to replace. Better check the mast base also.

Yeah, I think the mast base is ok. Once the jib halyard is tightened up, it forces the mast down and pushes the striker rod down. I'll get a new mast step installed and I think I'll be good to go.

The mast step is a breeze to replace. There's a how to on this site.