Proctor Mast Base

[Foxhounding]

Hi all,
Just bought a 1980 Copland Foxhound 24 which has a 27.5ft Proctor mast. The mast base looks distorted - see photos.I was told the mast pivots so not sure if it's that pin that is at risk!
Looking for a replacement or suggestions of alternative or a fix?
Thanks.

 

[peterhull]

If it's sitting on a stainless steel base without any insulation,. This leads to dissimilar metal galvanic corrosion. You might investigate further. Their could be severe corrosion. I experienced this once on a Twister we owned. It so weakened the bottom foot of the mast, it went bell shaped under compression when the rigging was tightened. In the end we decided to replace the mast.

 

[peterhull]

PS. If you can't find a duplicate. You could get an engineering firm to make a mast foot but of course, it won't be cheap!!

 

[Corribee Boy]

I had a very similar problem with the Corribee. I couldn't get a spare and to have a replacement milled out would stupid expensive - about £400.

There was a thread about similar problems in Jan 2022 but I can't make the link work.

Looking for replacement mast foot​

 

[doug748]

Are you still out there Foxhounding? If so welcome.

Some bigger boats had a very similar set up and indeed the mast can be lowered on that pin. What tends to happen is that control is lost when the mast goes to 45% and it is very easy to distort the casting, which is what seems to have happened to yours. I used to put a G clamp across it to support the arms, though if you try to straighten them by this method they could well break.

Best left alone in my view, very unlikely to be a problem in service, particularly if you use a crane lift for mast lowering.

.

 

[Foxhounding]

Thanks for the comments.The mast is coming off on Tuesday by crane as need a new fore stay.
Expect I'll have to knock the pin out with a hammer as it's completely jammed.
Fingers crossed it doesn't break as sounds expensive to replace!

 

[Corribee Boy]

What sort of pin is it? It doesn't look like a roll pin - my boat has a nut and bolt arrangement. Hammering might prove destructive if it's not just jammed.

 

[penfold]

What sort of pin is it? It doesn't look like a roll pin - my boat has a nut and bolt arrangement. Hammering might prove destructive if it's not just jammed.

The photo is not clear but it looks rather like the end of a stiff nut.

 

[Foxhounding]

It's a nut and bolt.The head has a slot for a screwdriver but no way to turn it as it's jammed solid and can't get to the nut as the arms have splayed.
I think you guys are right that it probably won't knock out.I'm hoping the crane might take the pressure off the joint & I can get some movement.
I'm expecting to have to get the hacksaw out though - not brilliantly designed!

 

[Corribee Boy]

Penetrating oil and a rattle gun! Just de-tensioning the rig might help.

You don't say where you are.

 

[Foxhounding]

I'll give it a go on Tuesday & let you know the outcome.Boat is at Largs Marina btw.

 

[KevinV]

It's a nut and bolt.The head has a slot for a screwdriver but no way to turn it as it's jammed solid and can't get to the nut as the arms have splayed.
I think you guys are right that it probably won't knock out.I'm hoping the crane might take the pressure off the joint & I can get some movement.
I'm expecting to have to get the hacksaw out though - not brilliantly designed!

It's worth trying a clamp across the splayed jaw - just enough to take any tension off the bolt.

 

[Corribee Boy]

Any luck?

 

[Foxhounding]

Any luck?

Yes, all done! It was a bolt with a nut on - fortunately there was a slot in the nut so when the pressure was off the mast it could be unwound by tapping the nut with a hammer. Slow to do but eventually got nut off. No way that it could have been knocked through. I forgot to take a photo but will do so next time I am at the boat. So mast is off - just waiting for the riggers to give me a price to replace the Forestay.
Plenty to do before it goes back on though. Photo shows front with shredded forestay. Also the topping lift halyard is going through the front sheave ! The empty sheave is where the genoa halyard was (before it snapped). Rigger suggests I put a bracket with sheave on back of the mast masthead - I'll then run topping lift through that - another job - finding/fixing a bracket!
Thanks for your input - good to bounce issues around & relieved mast is off & I can pack away the angle grinder!

 

[Corribee Boy]

Result!

Now leading to another lot of issues.

It's like herding cats!