Probable Mast Leak

[sa98911286]

We took down the entire cabin ceiling today and we think we have 5 issues to address.

Fix mast leak
Fix leak at antenna connection
Replace ceiling wood and header
Possibly replace teak ceiling of overhang
Replace all the hatch seals

Since we have the ceiling down and will need to rebuild it we are going to add a privacy and screen system to the hatches, or at least try.

Any recommendations on how to best get access to the area under the mast to really see what is going on? If we take the teak off the overhang can get get access that way?

I will create a photo album once I figure out the best way to add photos.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Bumping post delayed in moderation queue.

 

[Ralf H]

Hi there,

The area under the mast is going to be a bit tricky, as the mast was put on the cockpit overhang before that was joined to the cabin roof. If they are indeed leaking, you should be able to get access to the front two bolts on the mast base, and you can simply pull the center two, as they are screws and not through bolted like the fore and aft set. The aft two screws will be the tough ones, as they are installed on the mast assembly before the whole thing (overhang) is mounted to the cabin. Since you have pretty much removed everything (yes, if you haven't done so I would recommend removing the teak & holly from the overhang as well so you can try to refinish it and look for any other leaks) you can then check for leaks at the mast base. If you don't get any water at the front (inside) of the box, you shouldn't have to worry about the aft two bolts on the mast, as any water coming from there will be evident. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you 🙂

Hope this helps, but let us know.

Cheers,

Ralf

 

[BB marine]

I had this problem with my C26 (Mast leaking) I found brown stains on the pilot house roof and determined the water was leaking from the mast. The repair required the removal of teak holly from the over hang. Then (4 ) 1/4/20 bolts and the the two #12 self tapping screws. The two aft nuts attached to the fasteners was not hard to get to. The forward nuts I used the open end of a 7/16 wrench with a strip of electrical tape in the opening. this helped hold the wrench to the nut. I used a #3 screw driver and turned the screw head holding the wrench and was able to remove both nuts. Haver removing the machine screws I removed the self tapping screws and supported the mask. When all fasteners were removed I laid the mast with radar attached on its side. The reason for the leak? When the boat was built there was no sealant applied. The mast was installed dry with nothing sealing the screw holes. I used a hair drier to dry the wood that was water soaked and fortunately it was a hot sunny fall day when I was doing this. I was able to get the wood used in the construction of the overhang to dry and applied epoxy to soak into the wood to help seal it from further damage. I then applied several beads of Life caulk to the base where the mounting hardware would contact the topside and first installed the self tapping screw. The I worked of the forward screws and nuts. This took a few minutes to do but I was able to get them installed and fastened. The aft screws were easy. I applied a light coating of epoxy to the underside of the teak holly to seal the unfinished wood before reinstalling it.

Timing!!! I was doing this job as we were cruising down the river. I was at Lighthouse Landing in Grand Rivers KY. A fellow Cutwater owner owned the marina. I had made a comment on TugNuts that Jeff Messmer called to talk to me about. When I answered the phone and Jeff said " Hi Brian this is Jeff Messmer how are you doing today? I responded with good I am in the middle of fixing a leak in the Cutwater. There was a short pause and then He said I'm sure you will be able to resolve it! Timing!!! Just a funny note to this post!

Good Luck with your repair.

This photo shows the 6 fasteners holding the mast to the Roof. It also shows the jack bolts I installed to level the Radar and put a slight angle to the radar so that when I am cruising the radar is not shooting into the sky!
gallery2.php?g2_itemId=47634

 

[Someday*]

Hi there,

The area under the mast is going to be a bit tricky, as the mast was put on the cockpit overhang before that was joined to the cabin roof. If they are indeed leaking, you should be able to get access to the front two bolts on the mast base, and you can simply pull the center two, as they are screws and not through bolted like the fore and aft set. The aft two screws will be the tough ones, as they are installed on the mast assembly before the whole thing (overhang) is mounted to the cabin. Since you have pretty much removed everything (yes, if you haven't done so I would recommend removing the teak & holly from the overhang as well so you can try to refinish it and look for any other leaks) you can then check for leaks at the mast base. If you don't get any water at the front (inside) of the box, you shouldn't have to worry about the aft two bolts on the mast, as any water coming from there will be evident. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you 🙂

Hope this helps, but let us know.

Cheers,

Ralf

Ralf,

Along with this leaking mast thread I have a concern.

We received our new R29CB in January of 2022 here in Fort Myers, FL. During the transport, the windshield and the mast were broken. We are awaiting warranty replacement of these items and we are working through our broker who is organizing this.

My concern now is the mast hinge was broken and apparently it can’t be repaired so a new mast is “on the way”…reading this thread I wonder if the replacement of the mast should be done by the “local” person our broker is arranging or through the factory?

We don’t want to undermine our broker who is trying to get this work done however clearly this a delicate and serious repair that if not done properly can lead to the problems listed in this thread.

Ralf, I hope you can advise us on any recommendations on this situation.

Thank you.
Keith Harris

Fishinnoles@comcast.net

Hull #: US-FMLT2909I122

 

[Ralf H]

Hi Keith,

Just to be sure I understand, when you use the word "broker" I assume you mean "dealer", as we do not sell our boats through brokers, but dealers. Just wanted to make sure I understood this correctly. The dealer is the one who needs to work with us on this, as they need to order any necessary parts and engage with our warranty department should any of this be warranty. I am sure that's what the dealer is already doing, but please let me know if I am mistaken. The dealer will work with our customer service department to obtain any information necessary to effect a proper repair. Although this repair isn't the easiest, it can be done in the field by a competent technician. Hope this helps clarify.

Cheers,

Ralf

 

[Someday*]

Yes, I’m sorry he is the dealer (not broker)…he’s been great, this thread just made me nervous and wanted to double check.

Thank you!
Keith

 

[sa98911286]

We determined 2 of the bolts on the front side of the mast base (blue base on the C26) were causing the leak. We added 3M 4200 epoxy to all the bolts on the base and this seems to have stopped the leaking on the ceiling. We figure we will need to do yearly checks of this and reapply the epoxy annually or every two years. This seemed like a more efficient option, at this time, than removing the entire base and mast.

Additionally, the cables going from the mast into the ceiling was missing a grommet. We stuffed foil in there while we wait to find a good option to fix this. We have some things we are working as there are 4 cables. This was causing the leak to the ceiling of the overhang.

We are now working on repairs of the cabin ceiling and will replace the overhang teak with something else.

We appreciate all the help ideas and we will post pictures once we figure out that process.

 

[BB marine]

If sealed properly with sealant it will never leak. Unfortunately assembly line boats are not always assembled and sealed properly. If you sealed each hole with sealant and the threads of the bolts and retightened the fasteners until excess sealant sneezed out you should be fine. The goal is to penetrate the sealant into the holes leaving no voids under the mast base and the mounting holes so that water can not migrate through the hole and then leak. If this is what you did then you will not need to worry about it again and repairing the damage to the ceiling will be a one time deal.

If you sealed the bolts from the outside surface of the screws it may have stopped leaking now but that repair is temporary and it will leak again and you will be repairing the ceiling again in the future or the next owner of the boat will.

My advise, spend the time to do it right. Remove the mast, clean the base clean the mounting holes, confirm the wood is dry. reseal the complete assembly the way it should have been done when the boat was built and never look back. It will never leak again.