Mizzen Mast Step Repair

Well, my mizzen mast has cut through the cockpit sole "bottom" of the tabernacle to the hull. The mast dropped 2 1/2 inches. The mizzen mast is really like a hole saw, so I guess it's just a matter of time until it saws it's way through the fiberglass deck.

The tape measure showed 2 1/2 inches difference in height from the hull to deck vs. the height of the drain pipe in the mizzen step. The base of the mizzen tabernacle had dropped 2 1/2 inches.

I cut a 2 1/2 piece of 2 inch PVC and glued a cap from smaller pvc to fit inside the 2 inch PVC. The cap was drilled to fit the drain pipe in the mizzen tabernacle. The 2 inch PVC pipe was dropped over the drain pipe leading to the motor well, sealing off the bottom of the tabernacle.

The added PVC provides a surface for the mizzen mast to wear on that will never cut through, so the fix is better than new. The mizzen mast now bears against the end of a matching-diameter PVC pipe. All that is left is to pour some epoxy resin over the whole thing to seal out any leaks due to rain that might get around the drain tube-PVC cap joint. Paul