main mast iron rod

[Eduardo Acosta]

Team,

My boat has a thin metal rod in front of the main mast that goes from the step to the top of the cabin roof. Not sure exactly what is called but I been told it is there to prevent the roof from going up when the whole structure flexes during sailing.

Anyhow it has a puny washer at the top and a nut. I can’t believe that washer will hold the roof from raising. Here is my question what do y’all have at the top of your rod ?. Is it also just a non descript washer or do you have something more “special” ?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts/info/

Eduardo
SV Evergreen #144

[RichCarter]

Eduardo,
My boat has an aluminum collar where the main mast passes through the deck. That rod goes through the collar. I assume you have the same fitting, yes? The rod has a nut and washer where it attaches to the collar.

The rod is a source of leaks as is the whole collar. Water that gets in there, and it doesn’t take much, has a clear path to the plywood core around the mast and from there to the balsa core. I recently bought an inexpensive moisture meter (Ryobi E49MM01) and ran it across my deck. The meter indicated moisture around the mast collar for a distance of as much as three feet. I have no sign of deck delamination. I’ve since removed the collar, cleaned and painted it, and put it back. I’m not sure why it’s so hard to stop it from leaking. The aluminum corrodes and loosens the caulking bond and there is quite a side-load on the thing under sail. When I painted it, I used aluminum primer this time as the first coat.
As for the moisture, I removed the headliner and drilled a pattern of holes on the underside of the deck. I’m hoping that this will allow the balsa to dry.

[Author]

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