DS II mast step repair, with photos and video

[allemande]

Hello all,
My 1982 DS II developed a sagging mast when tension on a side stay was applied. The support below the cubby floor was broken and I had to figure out a way to fix it. If you need to do this repair, check out my photos, the video, and the step-by step instruction here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/m3uhh31u ... xijcq&dl=0

Here is text copy of my repair:

Problem description:
I noticed that the mast was sagging when load was applied to the shrouds. There was a noticeable sag in the mast and a creaking sound. The task at hand was to figure out the problem and to fix it.

Figuring out the problem:
I opened up the 2 inspection ports in the cockpit, shoved some flashlights in, and took photos and videos. The upside down video “Sagging.mov” shows what happens when tension is applied to the shroud. The support footing below the mast step is broken. This support was constructed with 2 PVC tubes that were glued together. The glue had come loose and the support was no longer working.

How I fixed this issue:
Photos “Below deck 1-4” show the broken support footing. You can see how crooked it has become. The glue shows oozing up on the left side.
Photos labeled #1-#9 show the steps taken for a fix.
#1: mast step and center board lift rigging before removal
#2: mast step fitting. Once you remove this fitting, make a template with a piece of paper and a pen that marks the holes for this fitting (important!).
#3: two 1 ¾” holes were drilled to accommodate new PVC supports. I drilled the upper hole first to get my bearings on where the footing was located. The lower hole was drilled right below the location of the mast step. The factory installed support was NOT directly under the mast step. Both of my holes narrowly missed this defective support, which is a good thing. So, you can picture that the lower hole is just aft of the original support and the upper hole just forward of it.
#4: Ace Hardware sells aluminum strips, 2”X48”, 1/8 inch thick. I cur three 12” strips and screwed and glued them (JB Weld) to the floor, covering the holes of the new PVC supports.
#5: A second layer of aluminum (6” long) was applied.
#6: my template shows where the holes have to be drilled for the mast step and the lifting blocks.
#7: Mast step fitting mounted in its previous location
#8: A photo below deck shows the new PVC support.
#9: final photo of repaired area
reminder: Don’t forget to make a template that marks the location of the mast step fitting so that you can mount the mast step in the proper location again after the repair.

Final comments:
I noticed that the mast is still flexing downwards a tiny bit after I launched the boat. This is probably due to the fact that I performed the repair when the boat was on the trailer. While on the trailer, the boat slightly flattens out and the spacing between floor and hull is slightly less than when the boat is floating. This does not appear to be a problem. The repair did what it was supposed to do.

[GreenLake]

Thanks for the detailed description. What a great resource!

Other DSII owners have reported similar issues with the mast support. They all report poor workmanship, including misaligned supports. There are some older threads showing how some of them solved their issues.

[allemande]

Thanks Greenlake. This particular fix was the best I could come up with....