Our worst boat problem so far - The Mast is SINKING | Ep101
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- Опубліковано 1 лис 2023
- Sailing is a roller coaster in so many ways. Time in the boatyard is never one of the highs it has to be said, but so far our lifts have gone smoothly and to plan. Not this time!
I did have plans to tackle some areas of the boat that I had never had apart before, not because of any apparent issue, but just for piece of mind before our Atlantis crossing.
Silly of me to think there would be time for non urgent preventative maintenance! Boats have a habit of giving you something pressing to do just when you thought you had time to breath.
Our issue is the base of the compression post which has now moved about 10mm down on the starboard side. This is a serious situation that will require the mast to be un stepped and the compression post taken out. It is something we have been monitoring ever since we bought Fair Isle as it was clear that there had been movement in this area in the past which the surveyor thought was probably settlement when new.
Well it seems that wasn't the case and having the rigging all up to proper tension now has prompted it to sink some more so something clearly has to be done.
The good thing is we are in the right place to get this done properly along with many other boat issues. We are very happy with the top sides now and having fun meeting some interesting people.
If you want to follow along with the Mini Transat and the MGR do have a look at Dons website here: minigloberace.com/
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We can't thank you both enough for the lovely episode, "Annapolis Boat Show". Again, we do hope the mast complication doesn't turn into a time consuming expense.
Magnificent episode! How do you put all this together, family visit, global travel, boat yard mayhem, and still managed to find fellow mariners to interview (friends with Frida) .. your calmness is inspirational - would love to see how she makes that happen 😊
Exactly what I think. Very British ‘Keep Calm’. Life is more than all our hobbies and dreams. True wisdom.
Thank you for the tip about using abrasive mesh... I will look into this.
Excellent video, thank for helping keep other boaters in the know, we all need to share as much as possible to make sailing fun, safe and inspirational, thanks
Well bee glad in the messthat it happend before you was in the middle of the Atlantic!
What a great episode. The trial and tribulation of finding a major issue really hit home. Crew were sitting here going look at that no look at that! Finding issues like that just deflate your hopes and dreams. But we know you can do it.
I hope so. One of the worst things for me is having to rely on others for help. We need a crane!
Such is life. Is how you overcome it that matters.
Thank you for this episode (well, all!) we're really enjoying them, particularly as we ve recently bought a condo just outside of Lagos, further down the coast...and will be looking to buy our first sailboat very soon..sorry to her about the mast..but onwards and upwards :)
Wow, small world. First time I've watched your channel and what pops up, Lady Stray on the beach at Ferragudo. Took pics of her when I was there a couple of weeks ago. Hope the owners got her refloated.
Thank you for your very honest vlogs….love watching! 👍🥰🥂
It never rains.... you know the drill...... Good luck with it all !!! holding thumbs.
The steps down into the cabin on that steel boat are certainly civilized and the small handmade transat boats have so much character. A circumnav must require some serious life planning.
Happy days you guys
It will be interesting to see your solution. It’s not as if the step has room to sink much farther. Thank you for posting.
All the best with the mast repair and moving forward with your goals.
Our Starlink worked great even in 10 foot seas. Looking forward to your crossing. Fair winds!
I encountered a not dissimilar problem after a rerig last winter.The riggers will insist on setting everything up after as they would a new boat,not one that has already had many years stresses and strains,certainly in my case.
I slackened everything off a turn or two,but then I guess I am not anticipating an Atlantic crossing.
Oh dear what a nightmare! Hope it all comes together 🤞🏼.
At least you have real sand and surf! 😬
So sorry to see that the mast support has issues and the amount of work apparentlt required to rectify it . Fascinating learning about the new process for bringing the hull to a high gloss ( also the bit abour the nail varnish) looking forward to the next episode . Good luck and thanks for the great videos
Oh dear, but why sooo depressed? This is all part and parcel, so turn it into a "fun" DIY video for us armchair sailors to cheer us up! I couldn't get my head around the detail at the bottom of the compression post, but it looks like it needs a big slab of 316 bonded in. just to cheer you up, I've just spent 5 days chasing faults with back to wall Jabsco toilets (grit in a fresh water valve - additional strainers installed), installing a new manual salt water pump at the galley with a fresh water cross over valve to stop the pump from clogging, and an errant house water pump that was rebuild previously by me and it turned out to be a solid state relay that went AWOL! We love it and think of all that Yoga equivalent exercise working in a 300mm void under the sole. Well, at least I loved the end results, and only another hundred jobs to do... Great video!
23:00 He’s an amazing man ! I loved hearing his story.
Yes Michael is inspirational, a very good man to have around when you have boat problems too, great knowledge
We put a flick of antifoul on the anode by the screws to stop it falling off. This last min issue is the worst thing with boats. Quite deflating but a second opinion helps so much and then you get stuck in and work through it.
Re your fridge and freezer issues, our keel-cooled Frigoboat fridge started to barely work at all in autumn 2022 (having also given us grief in 2021). We were advised to use refridgeration specialist Rob Wells; he recommended fitting a 'filter drier' into the system (£120+VAT) in addition to evacuating the system, replacing the O rings and recharging the system. All boat fridges should have one was his recommendation. Our fridge has work really well ever since, so might be worth checking whether you do have filter driers installed.
Yes we had two filterr we driers in the system ( one was in the wrong line!) and they’ve been changed 3 times already this year. We’ve found the problem now, blocked keel cooler plate, god know how. Going to fit a new one. The fridge & freezer are fast becoming the most expensive things on this boat!
I'm glad to hear you have found the cause of the problem!
Flip guys, glad you found the issue with the mast before you go across the Atlantic 👍👍. I live across the river from sopromar in Lagos, if you need a pair of hands to help with anything 👍👍
Thanks Andy, very kind. It's more the crane we are in need of now but it's possible I might need man power for some things, just gotta find out whats down there!
No problem I’m about till end of November if you need a hand👍
Nice video
Another fabulous video. Lagos seems a wonderful place. Considering berthing my boat there if the price is right. Good luck with the mast! ⛵️
Be careful, a lot of people seem to come here and never leave!
Buy the maxprop 83mm zinc with 6 holes they have an aluminum collar cast into the zinc. This collar prevents the zinc from coming off do to the zinc wearing away at the screw holes. Used to have the problem you are describing, Never More!
When you get across the Atlantic, stop in at Oriental, N.C.....its the sailing Capital of North Carolina....nice little Village....many folks from Europe stop in here.....😊
Sounds great we will add it to our list, thanks
Portugal is probably the worst place to discover that problem.
Shipyard skills are pitiful… I’m sorry there are no two ways to say that.
I don’t have much experience with Portugal. We have hauled out once before here but need no trades & I think they may not have been available there it wasn’t that sort of yard. But I can tell you here in Sopromar we are very well looked after, they have some of the most skilled people we’ve come across anywhere and can do virtually anything. You do have to wait your turn though they are busy, maybe that because they are an exception here
Out of the gloom
A voice said unto me,
“Smile and be happy,
Things could be worse.”
So I smiled and was happy
And, behold, things did get worse........Sorry 😁
I am a great believer in positive spin. In this case, you are already on the hard, near a boatyard, not too far from the UK and it sounds like help may be on hand locally for translations and the like. As a bonus, you now have a subject for the tech video's "How I refloated our mast"
everything is relative - try finding that your mast compression post needs to be replaced but not only will you have to remove the mast ( and there is NO crane nearby to do so ) but tear out a bulkhead that the WOODEN rotten post is integral to and it goes down into the bilge that is nearly inaccessible unless you are a hobbit ! people always complain about boat problems which is human nature , but we always consider if we lived in a house on land it would be all the same - roof needs replacing , air conditioning / heat system is failing , refrigerator is broke , neighbors are noisy , plumbing needs replaced , hurricanes , tornadoes , fires , earthquakes , tsunamis always a potential threat ! Wherever you live there will be issues . A sailor must be a half glass full eternal optimist who rolls with the punches 😀 Hope yours is a simple as it looks to fix , VERY jealous of that ease of access ! Fair Winds !
Yes it was a bit depressing at first, but I'm over it now. It's just stuff and it can and will be fixed. I just hope the ease of access continues. If it's the pad at the top we're all good but if it's something deep in the bilge then that might mean taking out the tanks either side to get to it
@@svfairisle Best Wishes for a quick easy fix !
This reminded me of Project Atticus. They had to reinforce their mast step before leaving the USA.
Oh really, I might give Jordan a call, similar boat i wonder what was failing on his
Sorry to hear your mast news! My Southerly has just been re-rigged, completed yesterday, and I have been told that the further tightening after a few sails should be limited to 1 turn or 1.5 turns on each of the shrouds, which is significantly less than the 1mm/metre which I recall you were advised to apply. Might be significant? Good luck!
I would talk to another rigger if I were you. Your wire will stretch 1mm for every metre length no matter what diameter after about a season with a couple of hard sails. Our problem is not overnight rigging its rot in the compression post support. Yes it might have been exasperated by having the rigging the correct tension as against a bit loose as it was before but that’s not a reason to go around with loose rigging.
OK, I'll enquire further. I have used a Selden agent, who was specifically recommended by Selden and who, I understand was responsible for advising Northshore on the original rig design for the Southerly 38. That said, I have only discussed it with his (very knowledgeable) riggers rather than their boss. I hope your rot problem isn't too extensive. On a more light-hearted matter, we were very surprised to find what appeared to be birds nest material at the base of the mast! There's no bird-sized apertures so can only think that it got there when the previous owners took the boat through the French canals and the mast was taken out.
I appreciated the comments on the gelcoat restoration. One day I'll need to do that to my 44' sailboat. I have the belief, that while the caulkly surface is annoying, it's helping to protect the underlying gelcoat, or what's left of it. However, black fungus (or whatever it is) can grown in it and maybe accelerates the damage???
I'm not sure about this but my guess would be you are wrong to think any chalkiness is helping what is below it. The chalkiness is gelcoat that's become open and porous, it's providing no sort of barrier only a place for moisture, salt, dirt and mold to sit and degrade the surface more. Our topsides were pretty good until just a few months ago but when the surface layer breaks down everything goes down hill quickly.
@@svfairisle Could be... I assume that the sun's UV light is what causes it to break down... a chalky layer should protect from more of that... but it will certainly hold moisture, dirt, etc... I don't know.
As older the boat gets, as larger the boat is. The problems will pile up. They are part of the deal. Basically a very expensive, time consuming and irritating crap people have to deal with to keep their driftwood afloat.
All possible as long as enough cash is on hand and the body still capable of labour.
Excellent video. Hope the repair isn't too time and money consuming and for positive news next time....
Yes, hoping it doesn't use the whole fund we had earmarked for the Hydrovane
Great video and a good example of the importance of really getting to know your boat and having regular detailed inspections. How many boats would have been saved if their owners had been a bit more vigilant? We are coming down to Lagos next week from the South Coast for a spot of boat shopping, if you need anything from the UK that can go in a rucksack let me know. Best wishes Martin
Thanks Martin, I think we're okay but if something comes up I'll let you know.
Just starting to watch. Caught the headline and can’t believe your mast issue. This has been my experience too. After 30 months owning my Dehler I have also encountered one problem after another. It just seems that the constant challenge is to just strive to keep the boat operational, without getting enough hours out on the water. But I’m committed…so I just have to keep going.
Now to watch your video! ⛵️
Anodes maxprop,generally too small to last one year….if you dont take precautions with the bolts as you mentioned,the just fall off,and you have with your boat an bigger then the general smaller boats.
Putting some sika IN the holes wich then covers the bolts helps a lot.( not to fall off)
There must be a way to adress the mastpole isseu without taking the mast off?
Just relaese the rig tension,and put for example two supports under the deck to the sides off the hull where the keel starts at the sides,you have to support only the weight off the mast ??
Now how is that mast issue possible? Is it the strength of the hull what can not handle the pressure of the rig anymore or is it the new rig being too tight? I hope you can fix it asap and that the fix will solve it for the coming years ! As always, good luck. Fair winds and following seas is a bit overdone in this situation.
We think the fault was there when we bought the boat but became worse when we tightened the rig. However, the drug needs be tightened so we need to fix the problem. Just one of those things, Hans
I wonder if the mast problem is a result of your new rigging and tensioning finding a weakness at the mast step. I hope it is a simple fix for you.🤞
Well yes we've got more tension on the rig now, but it's the correct tension & obviously the mast supports should have no problem coping with it, and a substantial safety margin, so something is not right.
Obviously due to the recent rigging changes and of course now all the tension has to be removed and redone, wow that’s a lot
Ha, riggers ,with older boats …….keep up the …tension!!
But first look at the build off the boat……not often.
Just a thought . You had new rigging and maybe it was over tightened ??? To put a set in that steel channel takes a lot of force over a short section ?
The rigging tension was correct, it was just enough to exacerbate a pre existing problem that we were aware of but were hoping was just initial settlement from when the boat was built.
What yard are you in? The facilities look great.
Yes it's one of the best yards in Europe. Sopromar, which is right next to Lagos marina, Portugal
Bad luck with the mast, where do you purchase the metal mesh for scrubbing the antifouling ? What antifouling do you use on the prop ?
I use Velox on the prop. It’s by far the best thing I’ve found. The mesh was from Travis Perkins builders merchants many years ago.
Hi. What was the screen that was attached to the drywall thing you used to remove the remaining surface debris?
No idea what its called i'm afraid. If you're from the UK I can tell you I got it from Travis Perkins (a builders merchants) about 10 years ago!
Hey Steve - did you give up on the G Techniq, or did it give up on you?
Well both! It helped but not enough to justify the expense. It's not designed for old gelcoat, maybe it lasts longer on a new boat I'm not sure but I was hoping for more
Ouch ! very strange way to design a mast step. Im surprised your mast is deck stepped. I repair and build plenty of ship board refrigeration systems . Have your tech take the couplers out and solder/braze the system .
Yes thats whats happening next.
Seems to have happened at worst possible time, Is it possible that the rerigging was overtightened a bit? Probably not, knowing your attention to detail, but thought that keel stepped mast was fairly bullet proof due to being stepped virtually on the keel. Your mast is on a crossmember floating above keel?
Bound to be good reason for this, but you'll fix it, I am sure.
This was a pre existing condition from before we owned the boat. there was evidence of movement on the cross beam when we bought Fair Isle but it has been stable until now. The surveyor thought it could have been settlement from new but I've always kept a close eye on it in case of further movement which has now happened. It will have been prompted by the increase in rig tension (it was under tightened before) but the base should take not just the correct tension but a lot more as a safety measure. The mast is not keel stepped, we have a large compression post. The force should all go straight down to the keel however, I just think the pad that transfers that force down on the starboard side has an issue.
@@svfairisle
Stupid me, not thinking. I know HC's have compression posts, usually galvanised covered with lovely brass tube. 😖
worst possible time would be 1,000 miles out to sea ! finding this BEFORE launching ? the BEST possible situation,
@@expeditioncalypsowind
Yes, might delay their cruising plans, but at least it gets fixed, before it gets dangerous, but still better that it not happened this year at all. I mean better for it to happen in cruising ground time, not passage time.
***** a hole in the water to pour money ***
So this will be a similar fix as sailing Uma's?
Well I hope not! They have enormous problems, they buckled the hull of that boat lifting it while it had virtually no internal structural supports. This is a very localised problem with the mast step, the structure of the boat is rock solid so thankfully this is a walk in the park compared to the job they have.
Is this normal practice to wash sanding materials off at a boat yard? It's odd for me to watch these boat UA-cam videos as no one wears masks, no vac system for the orbital sanders and then you wash it all off and it goes into the harbour. When I am doing anything like this on my car it's all collected in a central vac and no oil or debris goes into the drain.
All run off from the yard goes into central drains, I’m pretty sure this is treated as grey water run off not just fed into the harbour7
I know it's not your boatyard, you are just working there. But for me it's a bit like going back to the 80's in terms of a working environment. You are breathing in all the paint, zinc oxide, fiber dust, it's in your hair, absorbed thru your skin, no one wears gloves and then you have lunch. I know this isn't unique as you see people who embrace this, smoking in the sunshine sanding their boat shirtless. It's odd for me to see as such care is taken by people who will never go to sea and yet boaters are in this in the place they love.
over 90% of UTube videos have decent picture but poor sound; incl. this one
There is a very good reason for that. In the 35 years I spent filming for the BBC I used professional cameras that all had balanced XLR sound inputs. We all use prosumer cameras for these videos and although the picture quality is now comparable, and in many cases better, than the £100,000 cameras I used to use the sound isn’t. It all runs through 3.5mm mini jacks, you can’t have proper split mono tracks and in many cases you have no monitoring as you film (which is why there was one section of this film with over modulated sound.) So don’t complain to the creators about poor sound, contact the camera manufacturers and tell them they need a better way of getting sound into prosumer cameras!
Too much about repairs. Not enough about life that drains slowly away?
Yes thats our life at the moment!