Masthead Fittings

[Blue Crab]

Beware the bargain boat. Short version: I am doing lots of rework on a much modified Cal 25. I was attracted to this boat in that I've had two Cals and like the sailing ability, it has a 12 hp diesel, Harken furler, nice full batten main, a 30 amp elec system, and standup headroom, none of which were offered as new back in 1971. Oh, and you can guess that the boat was as close to free as you can get.

My current problem is as pictured. I'm guessing this came as a result of raising the cabin top more than a foot with the attendant lengthening of the stays and shrouds. The boat has been sailing this way with the masthead elevated about 1/2" above the mast. It pivots on the bolt and the mast has been cutaway to allow ... what?

Maybe I just don't know what I'm looking at here. Note reinforcement of the extrusion at pivot. Yes, it's lubberly, and those sharp corners on those homemade tangs gotta go but filling, then redrilling the pivot hole (and it ain't supposed to pivot anyway) ... I guess my question is: It's ugly but doesn't appear to be broke. Should I fix it?

Thanks

[Blue Crab]

On further review, it's clear that the mast has been lopped off the top to fit boat. Ditto mainsail. I am now thinking that the masthead fitting isn't original or even originally made to fit this particular mast. The longer I stare at things I realize the reinforced "pivot" point is just where the shrouds attach. I suspect the reason the cap fitting isn't flush is that the PO just didn't want to redrill that through hole in the cap fitting. Since I know the PO to be handy with tools, I'm now thinking the cap sits up 1/2" probably to accomodate the length of the furler. Guess my question remains, anything dangerously wrong with leaving the set up as is?

[perchance]

Looks like a real hack job. I am no expert but since a mast is a compression post it would seem that the entire compression load on the mast would be borne by that one bolt in shear. If it were my boat I would fill in the space between the top of the mast and the cap.

[daddle]

The aft masthead crane is designed to bend the mast slightly forward as the backstay tightens. That being the proper way to bend. Your swivel feature makes that unlikely. Maybe you have forward lower shrouds? Looks like an abomination to me.

[NotQuiteLost]

Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but my understanding is that there's quite a bit of engineering to mast heads. I hate to be the first to do so, but I'd suggest you get a rigger to look it over. It's small enough that you could probably do the actual work yourself, but I'd really want some professional guidance before trusting my boat (and everything on it, including myself) to a single stainless bolt, which is what this kind of looks like.

[Blue Crab]

Thanks guys. I posted for confirmation. Several of my pals thought I could use it as is but the real rigger said no, that I'd have to make the cap fit flush without further explanation. Since I know the boat sailed this way I was hoping to get by quick and dirty. It hadn't yet occured to me that all the down force is on that one bolt but it surely is. The rigger didn't think much of the compression post the PO added either.

Well, better now on the cradle in the yard than on splash day. Making the cap flush is no biggie but dropping the cap 1/2" is going to effectively lengthen all the rigging. I may have that much adjustment all around but I guess I just won't know for sure til I attempt to step the mast; geometry being yet another of the many disciplines I haven't mastered. All the wire looks brand new or this would be a non-issue.