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 Post subject: Mast Step Misaligned
PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:30 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2018 7:46 am
Posts: 58
Hey all,

I want to get ready for another year of sailing and the last time out the mast step holes broke out. I bought a back up(used) because I didn't want to buy a new mast base too. Well I've come to find after drilling out the rivets, pulling off my old one and attempting to put the other one on it doesn't go down all the way even with clamps pulling it together. I loosened the bolts on the striker rod and pushed the quill down all the way. Here's a picture of the position of the quill and the hole it's supposed to align on the mast step. With the quill pushed out of the way the mast step has no problem making firm contact with the crossmember so it's definitely the misalignment between the two that is preventing it from seating all the way. So can you guys give me a little advice? Should I make adjustments and route more metal out of the top of the crossmember or should I find some mast step that is tapped another 1/8" aft of the replacement I bought? It seems like these holes and clearances are very tight and I don't want to take metal away to get it to fit if the tolerances are tight by design. Does anyone have any knowledge of this changing over the production of the 16? Mines an 83 btw. I really don't want to move this repair forward without knowing what to do next because I can't add metal back after I remove it.

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 Post subject: Re: Mast Step Misaligned
PostPosted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 4:40 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15021
Location: Oceanside, California
Yeah always hard to set the casting. Likely small changes in the post angle and or from where the boat was built. You thread onto the post and then force it down. If you had to you could remove some material from the hole to allow the post to shift a bit.

We used an auto "Scissor" Jack to force them down along with a mallet.

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Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
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Hobie Cat USA
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 Post subject: Re: Mast Step Misaligned
PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:31 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:38 pm
Posts: 16
I'd take off a small amount of material and then use the persuader to set it.


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 Post subject: Re: Mast Step Misaligned
PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:14 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 1:20 pm
Posts: 493
Location: Clearwater, FL
There are 3 places you can change using a file to get the threads on your mast step to align with those on the top of your dolphin striker.

1) elongate the hole on the top of the front crossbeam where the dolphin striker comes thru.

2) file off some of the inside of the back lip on your mast step where it curves over the back of the "tramp track" of the front cross beam.

3) file off some of "tramp track" of the front cross beam, where the mast step's rear lip curves over it.

I have had to do all three when putting a newer (more mast rake) type of mast step on an older Hobie in order to get the threads to align and to get the newer mast step to sit flush on top of the older front cross beam. I used "C" clamps to hold the mast step/cross beam in place when drilling new rivet holes in the mast step and front cross beam (try to place your new holes so they don't overlap any existing holes in the front crossbeam). Also make sure you use SS 3/16x1/2" pan head rivets and a good rivet puller like a "Big Daddy".

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84 H16
82 H16
87 H14T
Tortola Sails: 115222
Blue Prism Sails: 88863
Clearwater, FL
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