after a season on a mooring, my peaopod wore a hole almost clean through mast step

Builder's Forum
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First off, for people wondering if CLC boats can live on a mooring for a season, rather than trailer sail, yes absolutely they can.  Is it harder on the boat?  Sure, but that would be true of any boat.  You'll have to rig up an automatic bilge pump, of course for rain water etc, and probably have to varnish more often between seasons, but lagrely the trade-off is worth it.   In my case the boat in question is a single mast balanced lug peapod.


Well, except possibly in one way,   My season ended a tad early this year, as I had sprung a leak.  I've hauled out and likely by the time I get her patched up, it won't be worth putting it on a mooring that will have to come out shortly.


It took me a miniute to locate my leak, but when I did, it was somewhat alarming.   Apparently the mast wore through a patch of leather,  the epoxy, the fiberglass, the hull okume, and then was well on it's way through the very last layer of fiberglass on the outer hull(!)

Now, near as I can tell, the cause of such exessive wear could be caused by two things:
1) I keep the mast stepped when on the mooring, so I suppose there could be some constant friction as it bangs around in the wave action,  The mast doesn't slosh around in there, but I suppose there is a hint of play.  This is likely the main cause.

2) I modified my downhaul to be a 4:1 block that attaches to the deck/ mast partner area rather than to a cleat on the mast, as originally designed.  This means when hauled down, the mast itself is pulled down into the boat, somewhat forcefully.  The side advantage is if I were to capsize, the mast is held securely to the boat, and can not float free.  (Unfortunately, I can confirm that feature works as intended as I did capsize this summer in very stiff breezes) But I suppose it also adds force downward that perhaps was not designed into the boat to begin with.

Anyway, once I identified the leak, sailing was declared over for the season. The boat ramp was directly upwind for the next four days, acording to the forcast, and I was afraid of literally punching my mast through the hull, by hauling on the downhaul trying to get better windward performance.  I pulled all the sailing acoutrements at low tide, and with some Shoe Goo and Gorilla tape on the outside of the hull to patch the small breach, I rowed a mile and a half to the ramp the next day. 
Attached is a photo of the mast step.  the bright bit is literally daylight (it was on a trailer at this point) shinging through the last remaining layer of fiberglass between me and the rest of the ocean. 

I am all ears on how to repair such damage.  My first plan is to actively dry the area with a fan for several days, then apply thickened epoxy and then fiberglass and epoxy from the inside side of the hull, and maybe even embed a layer of metal (maybe a thin layer of stainless steel?  A tuna can lid? I don't know) to help fortify it.

I guess I also have to consider flipping her first and cutting out a bigger hole to remove what I imagine is some ruined okume, as it was likely exposed to bilge water for weeks before she breached the hull entirely. 

Anyone have similar wear?
 

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   oops forgot to attach photo:

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Wow. That was close! I think that you're spot on with your diagnosis - abrasion cause by a combination of constant motion and compressive forces, possibly abetted by grit trapped between the mast and step.

Repair first. If it went through the mast step and almost out the other side of the hull, then you've got a fair chunk of end grain that's been soaking in water (possibly rainwater). That is really bad news for okoume which is not the most rot-resistant of woods. If it was my boat I'd start probing the edges of the hole to look for solid dry margins. Once I found them, I'd establish a perimeter a few inches beyond the end of the dry wood, remove everything in there and grave in a piece of fresh dry wood and then start on the work of blending it in with the rest of the boat.

Mast/mast step repairs. First, I'd move the attachment back to the mast from the deck. For capsizes, the geometry of the situation will tend to capture your mast in the step and partner and keep it from floating away. If you're nervous, tie a loose line from the mast to the forward mast step (the one for the yawl mast). It'll act as a leash without adding compressive forces.

Next, build up the mast step. I'd say add wood to the top of the step to make the hole at least half again as deep as it originally was and fill the bottom with an epoxy/woodflour layer covered with an epoxy/cab-o-sil lasyer to a combined depth of the added height; that is, the depth of the new mast step should end up the same as the original's.

The woodflour layer will act to transfer the vertical pressure evenly to the hull. The cab-o-sil layer will give you exceptional abrasion protection (just ask anyone who's ever tried to sand that stuff). I would avoid metal reinforcements like the plague. That's just asking for rust, corrosion and spalling. Keep in mind that stainless is only stainless when exposed to oxygen.

Without the 4;1 downward pressure, the bottom of your mast won't have enough force to ever sand through the can-o-sil layer. The bottom of the mast will go first.

Good luckand don't forget to inspect frequently in the future,

Laszlo

 

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   Wow, I wouldn't have been surprised to see the wear-thru except that you said you did have a patch of leather under the mast. I would have thought that sufficient protection - but then again, river rocks are round (and there are plenty of grains of sand on the beach) all due to the combination of relentless time and motion, 24/7. 

On my NE Dory I've been sailing with a patch of 1/8 inch black sheet rubber tossed under under the mast step. I did that just because it seemed like a good idea and I had some sitting around. I don't keep my boat moored, so have no real concerns about wear, but now will be sure to never go without that protection in place!

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Actually, the leather could have made it worse. If there was any kind of grit at all under between the leather and mast step, it would have formed a polishing lap like the ones used to polish gemstones and lenses. A soft, pliable layer with some kind of grit and a mechanism to supply pressure and motion with water for lubrication has been used for millenia to smooth down hard surfaces.

Personally, I would be really wary of that sheet rubber, too.

Laszlo

 

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   just for everyone's amusment, here is my leather scrap I had between mast and hull.  It is now a well worn leather doughnut, with a mast shaped hole in the center, and watery leather paste in the bilge.