Hi all, I recently purchased a 1979 Nacra 5.2 and I need a new mast step bearing. Murrays.com states that any pre-1983 boat cannot just replace the ball, but must upgrade the entire mast-step system to a 1.5" ball system. Does anyone know of another solution? Thanks
I had a NARCA 5.2 when they first came out. I ended up cutting round circles out of the bottoms of milk jugs where the plastic is a little thicker. I had a baggie of them to use and carried it in my tool pouch. I also cut circles out of thin plastic body putty squeegees, the milk jugs were always handy so I used them the most. I always had a tube of bullfrog around to protect my nose. I used some bullfrog on both sides of the plastic to lubricate it.
I think I remember reading about a sailor, perhaps in South America, machining new plastic mast bearings for an early Nacra. I converted my 5.O to the new style bearing when I had it. Good luck.
Unless you have a 1 1/4" ball and the skills and equipment to drill and blind tap it, almost anything you do will cost more than the $100 the new system costs.
A cost savings method is to find a trashed boat that you can salvage from. I think all the mast bases are the same.
One thing have not tried is Hobie. The threads are different but some of the Hobies have "little balls"