need to find a replacement mast base and ball

How big are the mystere balls and what size threads are tapped into it?

unknown on both questions

Try a Prindle set up. Pinned hinge for mast set up.

I wouldn't worry too much about the

ears

and the

pin

. You can tie the bottom of the mast off to the dolphin striker with a short piece of line. This will keep the mast from being a huge lever if the mast base pops off the ball during raising or lowering. AHPC and Falcon use the hinge method, but they don't use a ball (more like a pyramid and socket).

Thanks Tom but I am trying to avoid doing that by finding replacement parts.

Didn't their F18 share a Hobie Tiger rig or something (or was it just a taller Tiger?). At any rate, I can help you a little with your balls. If you can figure out the size, one of these will work...you'll just need to drill and tap them.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#balls-(made-with-delrin-acetal-resin)/=q6l66u

Do you have any pictures of those parts? I can't remember what they look like.

I hear ya. I was thinking if you could find a ball, then you'd be set - depending on how the badly the mast base is damaged (i.e. if the hole for the pin in the mast base is the only thing busted - but otherwise usable, you could still use that mast base with a new ball and tie down the base of the mast).

My last sentence was counting those manufacturers out as suppliers because they use a different set up. Sorry it wasn't clear (probably still isn't!!!).

You can see how close to

end of life

this ear is the image below


This ball used to be

round

<img src="http://asnstudios.com/images/8_n.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://asnstudios.com/images/9_n.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://asnstudios.com/images/11_n.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://asnstudios.com/images/12_n.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://asnstudios.com/images/13_n.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="http://asnstudios.com/images/14_n.jpg" alt="" />

I retract all my earlier statements. I was assuming it was the delrin ball on a post setup.

Good luck!

As was I. I think your best bet is going to be to convert to one of the other manufacturer's mast step systems.

If using the Nacra system (the one I'm most familiar with), it looks like any of the older Nacra mast bases will fit yours...maybe with a little work required. You'll then need to replace your dolphin striker post with the nacra post..and don't forget to make a spacer that goes inside the beam to keep the nacra post nuts from compressing the beam. You'll need:

Nacra mast base
Nacra mast ball
Dolphin striker post (goes through the main beam)
Two large nuts and washers to fit the dolphin striker post
spacer to go inside the beam to prevent compression
You may also need the aluminum plate that locks the dolphin striker post to the dolphin striker (not sure what you have there now).

I think that converting to the Delrin ball on a stainless post would be pretty easy. You could probably keep using that base.

In the meantime you could make a plastic Chip similar to the Hobie 16 the shoved into that mast base to prevent further erosion of the aluminum.

Or, you could cut the top half of that ball off and replace with a half sphere similar to hobie 17 or 18. I have a Hobie 17 mast base you could play with for the price of shipping wanted to try that. if you sent me the dimensions on your mast roughly I could tell you if it was even close to fitting.

Can you retro fit it to the new delrin mast base? Did you check with http://ecoledevoilesansoucy.com/?

i go through a few dozen gator aid lids a year. I have used hobie chips in the past but they easily squirt out during stepping. Gator aid is perfect.

as per all the other (ideas, convert, cut 1/2 off, etc... )
I appreciate the ideas but will do my best to find a replacement before I go that route.

Will keep ya posted

I was directed to Yannick at mysterecomposites.com - maybe i will try the ecoledevoilesansoucy.com too - thanks