Bend in mast issue?

[Cstan]

Just bought my first boat, a 1974 Catalina 27 and realized there is a slight bend in the mast near the spreaders. Is this an issue and will need to be fixed or replaced or will the standing rigging straighten this out when setup? Thanks!

[SailingHarmonie]

More than the simple bend (which should NOT be there!) what concerns me is the dent or dimple I THINK i see just above the port spreader. That would be serious issue.

In short order, you will get answers here ranging from "the mast will fall down at the dock" all the way to "No problem, I'd sail it across an ocean".

It would scare me.

[Cstan]

Thanks for the reply, that was my fear. This is my first time buying a boat and I thought I checked everything I could, didn’t think to check the mast itself for damage. I lean more on the cautious side and would not want to sell if it is damaged.

[wholybee]

Whatever might be wrong, its fixable. The bend doesn't look bad to me. It'll bend a bit under its own weight and straighten out. A dent or dimple could be more serious, but still fixable. A mast can be cut in half and put back together, so strengthening around a dent should not be a big deal. I assume you will be talking to a rigger to help you step the mast, and that should be your best source of information.

[Benz]

Unless there's a dent somewhere, let me make Harmonie's day by saying, "No problem, I'd sail it across an ocean."
Seems like it's just bowed from lying sideways. Turn it over and see if it bows the other way. If it wasn't a little flexible, you'd never get pre-bend in it.

[psk125]

Originally Posted by Benz

Unless there's a dent somewhere, let me make Harmonie's day by saying, "No problem, I'd sail it across an ocean."
Seems like it's just bowed from lying sideways. Turn it over and see if it bows the other way. If it wasn't a little flexible, you'd never get pre-bend in it.

+1. Almost exactly what I was going to suggest.

[Windpilot]

Hard to really see, but without any other real damage that slight bend will go away when rigged, masts are pretty flexible. You're not crossing oceans in a box stock C27 or going out in gales, it's a daysailor, coastal cruiser as it sits there.

[Tsuru]

Unless it's dented, creased, or visably damaged I don't see it as a bit issue. Consider joining the Catalina 27 facebook page or other Catalina 27 forum and ask the group familure with the boat. You could also call Catalina and ask for advice. They were very helpful with us.
Good luck,
Ray

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Benz

Unless there's a dent somewhere, let me make Harmonie's day by saying, "No problem, I'd sail it across an ocean."
Seems like it's just bowed from lying sideways. Turn it over and see if it bows the other way. If it wasn't a little flexible, you'd never get pre-bend in it.

Should the flexibility, required for pre-bend [& etc], allow the mast to take a [semi?] permanent bend?
Asking, because IDK.

[rognvald]

So, Stan,
Here's the issue: if it is a minor dent, it is fixable without a sleeve on a boat of that size. On my previous boat purchase, a 25 footer, I missed the same issue. So, I drilled a hole in the center of the dent, heated the aluminum with a hot air gun on high and used an auto dent puller over the course of an hour to bring it back to flush. Then, I filled the drill hole with West System high density epoxy, faired, and repainted the repair. We sailed that boat under harsh conditions on a regular basis when 40 footer's sat at the dock and there was never an issue. Because it was not an exceptionally tall mast and there would be only one hole, it wasn't be a problem to its structural integrity. However, if you can't get most of the dent out and you're worried, you might want to consider a simple aluminum sleeve with pop rivets.
Secondly, if the mast does have a slight athwartship bend, it was probably not tuned correctly and if you tune your mast with a tension gauge to the proper numbers, it should straighten out without a problem. And, finally, because you have your mast leaning to starboard in the pix, it just might be the weight of the mast causing the slight deformity(?) which mine does as well on a 34' boat when the mast is down.
If it were my boat, I wouldn't worry unless you're headed for Southern Argentina in a 50 knot blow and even then, it won't be an issue. Check out if there is a dent and if not, step your mast and tune it. Simple.
Rognvald

P.S. Before I did my repair in '89, I consulted a machine shop in my town and based on the diameter and thickness of the mast and the size of the dent, he told me there would be no problems with the repair. He was right and when I sold the boat in 2006, it showed no signs of stress or repair. That's my 2 cents. R

[Benz]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Should the flexibility, required for pre-bend [& etc], allow the mast to take a [semi?] permanent bend?
Asking, because IDK.

My thought is it's not even semi-permanent--it's just sagged that way because it's lying on that side.
Most marconi rigs are somewhat flexible--it's the shrouds that keep them in alignment. That bend can be tuned out when stepped.

[OldManMirage]

I agree with all those who say if there's no visible damage it will fine.

Go on any boat near that size and pull on one of the lower stays while watching the mast. It bends.

Any stick made out aluminum that is 40 feet long will flex, bend, sag, when not properly supported.

Again - If NO damage - it should be fine.

[Cstan]

Originally Posted by rognvald

So, Stan,
Here's the issue: if it is a minor dent, it is fixable without a sleeve on a boat of that size. On my previous boat purchase, a 25 footer, I missed the same issue. So, I drilled a hole in the center of the dent, heated the aluminum with a hot air gun on high and used an auto dent puller over the course of an hour to bring it back to flush. Then, I filled the drill hole with West System high density epoxy, faired, and repainted the repair. We sailed that boat under harsh conditions on a regular basis when 40 footer's sat at the dock and there was never an issue. Because it was not an exceptionally tall mast and there would be only one hole, it wasn't be a problem to its structural integrity. However, if you can't get most of the dent out and you're worried, you might want to consider a simple aluminum sleeve with pop rivets.
Secondly, if the mast does have a slight athwartship bend, it was probably not tuned correctly and if you tune your mast with a tension gauge to the proper numbers, it should straighten out without a problem. And, finally, because you have your mast leaning to starboard in the pix, it just might be the weight of the mast causing the slight deformity(?) which mine does as well on a 34' boat when the mast is down.
If it were my boat, I wouldn't worry unless you're headed for Southern Argentina in a 50 knot blow and even then, it won't be an issue. Check out if there is a dent and if not, step your mast and tune it. Simple.
Rognvald

P.S. Before I did my repair in '89, I consulted a machine shop in my town and based on the diameter and thickness of the mast and the size of the dent, he told me there would be no problems with the repair. He was right and when I sold the boat in 2006, it showed no signs of stress or repair. That's my 2 cents. R

thanks for this great info. I just emailed a master rigger and sent him some photos to see what he thinks. it looks to me like the mast is slightly pinched where the spreaders connect and it caused a slight bend. I may have to make a trip to the boat and take the spreaders off to get a better look.

[Bill_Giles]

Give it the most exacting examination to check for cracking, creasing, loose rivets etc. if you continue to be worried get an expert to look at it. On our dinghies we used to pack up one side of the mast foot with an old credit card which straightened to mast. Not sure if that would work on a bigger boat.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Cstan

thanks for this great info. I just emailed a master rigger and sent him some photos to see what he thinks. it looks to me like the mast is slightly pinched where the spreaders connect and it caused a slight bend. I may have to make a trip to the boat and take the spreaders off to get a better look.

Hi, C,
Don't let him talk you into a high dollar repair! This is totally fixable on a small boat if you have even limited mechanical skills. Let us know what happens and don't worry! It's not a major problem.
Rognvald