Mast Step for "This Old Boat"

[Findlay]

On "This Old Boat" the Mast Step channel at the Keel is broken. There is evidence of the bolt/screw hole going across the channel but there is a large missing piece broken off. I have the Bronze Mast step but am somewhat confused on how it worked. I understand the the threaded disk lifts the mast. My confusison is with the length of of the mast and setting it up properly to be within DS by-laws. My mast length is 24' 1" from its base to the connection of the mast head with the halyard sleeves. Per spec the second-third band is 20'6", the first band-second is 2' Max'. The distance from keel to top of cuddy is 31"(2'7"). Adding it all up I'd need 25' 1" to be within Max spec. which is about 12" short of the actual mast. The Mast Step would add about 4 inches max to this shortfall of lenght. Should there be a build of material on top of the Mast step that the actual mast sits upon?

[Bob Damon]

You are correct that the mast should be about 25'. Assuming you have a DSI the current mast is short and my question is if this was the original mast, or a replacement from another boat. Check where the cuddy top band should be, mark it, and take measurements from there for spreaders, shourds, etc and see if they fit. It might be a DS II mast which would be shorter than the DSI because of the higher inner hull where the mast step would have been in addition to the fact that the DS II masts where shorter than the class allowed maximums. Good Luck. Bob

[Findlay]

You may be right about it being a DS2 mast. I've replaced the short standing rigging with new stays from D&R Marine. The Main sail appears to be only 19' and some few inches long along the luff... Is that closer to the size of a DS2 Main Sail? It does have the DS logo on the sail but I assume that could apply to a DS2 as well. The woman that gave me the boat had it for well over thirty years with it sitting in her backyard exposed to the elements for the last ten. It appears I'll have to build up the needed height by stacking a block of 8" wood atop the fiberglass channel at the keel and mount the Mast Step atop to the wood block. This should get me at least sailing this year and I can save my pennies (lots of them) for a DS1 Mast and DS1 Main Sail next year.