This weekend I went to step the mast on my H-16 and somehow the mast base didn't fall into the hole and I ended up shearing one rivet and ripping the mast on the other side. I wanted to know if there was anyway that I could have prevented this, and what I need to do to fix it. Can I replace the old rivets and add 2 more rivets or do I need to saw the end down and start over?
i can probably help you with this one cause i just went though the same ordeal. if you are going to replace the rivets just drill them out with a 3/16" bit and pop them through. if you don't need to replace the mast base you, could probably just drill a couple extra holes to make up for the tear in your mast. mine was drilled in so many places though i chose to cut it off. i took off 5/8". the only thing you have to do is get used to adjusting your shrouds 1 hole tighter. remember though if you drill too many holes you weaken the bottom of the mast. use 3/16" x 1/2" stainless or monel rivets. they are a tough item to find. i would suggest murrays for the stainless steel (19-5033). good luck either way.
You didn't accidentally use the 14 hinge hole in the mast link kit? In any case, sometimes you need someone to press down on the mast base to get the ball seated in the step socket before the mast begins to rise appreciably.
I would try to re-install the mast base if the torn out spot is not too wide. You might be able to place a washer between the mast and the pop rivet to add support to the torn side. I don't know what kind of sealant Hobie uses, but it seems a little more substantial than regular silicon. But in the very least I would reseal with silicon around the base before pop-riveting.
If you do have to cut off the damaged end, it shouldn't take off enough of the mast to hurt you, but I would either use a new mast base or re-drill the holes to be in different locations. Don't try to match the old mast base holes, They'll never line-up the same.
I always use a drill bit larger than 3/16, up to 5/16 when drilling a pop rivet. The trick is to just get the shoulder to come off and then use a 3/16 punch to push the old rivet in. This way, you don't enlarge the hole by a wandering drill bit.
You know... I think Murrays has a new heavy duty mast step hinge that eliminates the "slop" that the standard one has. In other words the mast pivot ball hits the mast base every time without slipping out.
Yes they do...i just got my heavy duty mast stepper link from murray's and it is amazing. 13.50 without the pins (i have a large assortment) i think it's $24 with the pins. ball falls in the hole every time. why doesn't hobie make it like this?
The same thing happened to me last week. The mast base rotated out of the mast when the 2 forward rivets tour out of the mast. The mast was deformed enough at the base that I had to saw off about 1" from the bottom of the mast and reattach the base. I used stainless rivets and west marine epoxy to secure it together. I have only used the boat once since, but all seems to be working just fine. Hope this helps, andrew.