Deck step repair

[junkydave]

Have a 1984 Cal 27 MKIII, recently purchased with problems I am prepared to deal with but, needing guidance and info. The deck is dished, some small cracks as well, where mast is mounted to deck. Boat leaked enough in the past to rot bulkhead so, obviously, will have to replace it. Have seem posts about replacing compression posts and, first question, does post go all the way down to keel? If so, how does it attach? Second question, could it be a squeezing, compression of deck? Third question, don't understand how mast is mounted to deck, no visible sign of base mount. Is there some sort of insert inside the base of the mast that mast sits on? Want to do a safe and correct repair so, any and all advice, tips, would be appreciated. Will post pics of areas that are important to understanding the condition and/or will help aid, let me know what pics to provide. Thanks

[junkydave]

[junkydave]

My biggest problem. Post seems twisted also. Don't know how they attach base to extrusion or to ceiling. Could use some insight.

[junkydave]

Guess I'll have to remove post, cut extrusion and and repair.

[junkydave]

Pardon the mess. Haven't put time into cleaning with repairs to do.

[rcvesselstyn]

Hi Dave, it didn't look like anybody had replied to your questions yet. So I will add my two cents and maybe that will spur someone on to give more accurate information. First I would take a look at what Mary has done and documented on this site. Second I would verify that by 1984 Cals no longer had the beam of death. You can look that up on the Internet under Cal 29 beam of death. Replacing the beam under the molded cabin sole it's really not that hard if you have to do that. The teak Mast support is held in place by screws through the main bulkhead. You just have to go up forward and Pop the teak plugs that cover them. Make sure before you do anything you back off all your turnbuckles on your rigging and support the mast that can be done internally with four by fours. 1 across the cabin top a short one with a jack under it on to the V birth and a long one under it through the Keel access and resting on the encapsulated lead keel. Or you can just pull the mast. The mass step on the earlier boats is just a cast aluminum plate with a raised Ridge and a hole through it for the electrical wires. It sounds like the p.o. had some failure of the support of the mast. And so to keep the mast tight they cranked the turnbuckles down and drove the mast down into the deck and down into the cabin sole. Good luck, and just take each part of the job individually so you're not overwhelmed. I have done this job on two Cal's and you know it just takes patience.

[junkydave]

Thanks for response. Tried to pm Mary today. Have looked at her posts. Don't believe it has been of death but, not sure yet. Something I'm unclear about is I'm guessing compression post basically sits on top of the fiberglass extrusion, bottom, and doesn't extend down through lower extrusion and, the top is fixed to cabin top. Don't have any idea how the lower extrusion is built and or beefed up. Previous owner has loosened the he'll out of center mast stays, due to rotten bulkhead but, has tightened the he'll out of backstay. Couldn't hardly make it any tighter. Will probably go back to boat tomorrow and work on loosening back stay. Can't jack it till then. I know you want to spread load at the bottom and, of course after it's together, it's near impossible to see. Guess I'll remove post and cut top off lower extrusion to see if that helps me at all.

[rcvesselstyn]

I suggest you go on Amazon and for twenty bucks or less you can get a scope that you can feed in from the side and see exactly what's going on without having to cut or tear into anything. Always better to know what you're dealing with before you start cutting.

[junkydave]

Can try that. Don't know what I'm for or, exactly where to look. The extrusion will have to be built back to where it was. Have no idea if there might be blocking or something inside there for the downward pressure.

[junkydave]

If I get to boat tomorrow, I will try to take a pic under deck. It looks all tabbed so something forward of the glass, probably rotten, I believe would be near impossible to see. I could be wrong and, please correct me if I am but, I believe the support inside and under the extrusion is what has failed.