Posted: 11 Apr 2011 at 12:18pm
Have any Yankee owners removed the mast step fitting? It is held on by bolts above, of course, but I can't see any access to the underside (in the cabin) where I might get at nuts. It sits on that big fiberglass "hump" and I'm almost wondering if it's in there with lag screws.

I want to remove it to place a plate underneath providing attachment points for turning blocks. I'm hesitant to just go unscrewing away, though.

Thanks for any insight,
Joe
Yanqui


Posted: 13 Apr 2011 at 3:16pm
Hi Joe-

On Robin Lee (Yankee #118), I have a bare fibreglass headliner, since any wood veneer which might have once covered it has long-since been removed. There are no fasteners coming through the liner in the area of the mast step.

I think that the "hump" must contain a large chunk of wood, molded into the deck at the time of manufacture. Anything fastened to the "hump" must be attached with lag screws.

On Robin Lee, there was a large pad eye attached to the aft face of the "hump", which looked to be fastened to it with two bolts. I presume it was original hardware. I say "was", because I naively attached a boom vang to the pad eye, and proceeded to rip it out of the deck. It was attached with two lag screws. Cry

That's all I know! Any further knowledge will need to come form a forensic autopsy of a Dolphin-to-be-demolished or a Dolphin-to-be-rebuilt.

Erik Evens
Los Angeles, CA
"Robin Lee", Yankee Dolphin #118


Posted: 13 Apr 2011 at 3:26pm
By the way, on Robin Lee, we have the halyard turning blocks directly lagged into the hump. So far, no failures... seems plenty strong.

Erik Evens
Los Angeles, CA
"Robin Lee", Yankee Dolphin #118


Posted: 13 Apr 2011 at 10:45pm
Thanks Erik, the lack of nuts on the underside (phrasing) would seem to confirm either lag bolts or some kind of embedded nuts. If I were a braver man I'd just unscrew one and see what happened. I'm not, so I'm looking at attaching the blocks directly to the aluminum tabernacle. Might raise them up too high, but I hate going into fiberglass if I can avoid it.


Posted: 16 Apr 2011 at 11:08pm
I took #227's mast plate off....it was lag bolts.


Posted: 20 Apr 2011 at 1:43am
Yep, lag screws. Kind of a, um, screwy way to secure the tabernacle. Through bolts seem much more reliable. On the other hand, there aren't a whole bunch of problems with them, so what do I know? Thanks for the help.


Posted: 16 Jun 2011 at 10:43pm
actually since the mast step/tabernacle is in compression, lags are all that are needed.
with a dismasting, the lags would pull out, thru bolts may take the cabin top with it?
s&s knows more about it than I though, they spec'd out lags for a reason
it's probably wise to check on 40+ year old lag screws for good measure, you'll also be able to check the deadwood under the hump for structural integrity while your at it

just my .02c
cheers