So I bought a prindle 18 last winter for pretty cheap and spent the winter fixing some of the more obvious problems with it, but one issue that's turned out to be a big deal that I hoped wouldn't is the mast step.

The two holes closest to the mast bearing are broken, looks like at some point the mast must have put a lot of pressure on it and it the pin broke out the top of the holes. The previous owner said it wasn't a big deal for him, he just launched the boat, beached it, tipped the boat on its side and put the mast up that way. Well, there aren't really any beaches you can launch a boat off in my area, so yesterday me and two other guys tried to put the mast up manually... we did it, but it was tricky. Taking the mast down was an even riskier maneuver. The attempt at a sailing day was unsuccessful.

So anyone have any pertinent tricks for fixing a mast step? the gap in the top of the holes is only about 5 millimeteres wide... just big enough for the pin to pop out, so I've been debating on trying to weld it instead of paying $120 for a small piece of aluminum.

Pay the $120, if memory serves me right it is cast aluminum, you can't weld cast aluminum and get a solid fix, it will always be weak at that point.

Take the hinge part off & attach to other side of mast. Pete

Possibly have a metal shop roll fabricate a aluminum 4" high 10 gauge sheet to form and fit snugly around the bottom of the mast. drill and rivet in place, add new mast step. This would not be a mast extension but mast wrap.



Edited by gulfstream40 on May 29, 2018 - 02:30 PM.

Is it possible to redrill a new hole forward of the broken one. Another option is to add a stainless steel doubler fastened and glued to the casting.