MacGregorSailors.com

Prospect wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:51 am

Jimmyt wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:38 am Got any friends with a 3D printer? If not, you could make it out of fiberglass. Or, can you weld? Wood/epoxy would work temporarily. Lots of ways to skin that cat.

You're right. I think the way to go is to use wood and then cover with epoxy.

How is the cap attached to the top of the mast? Does the cap just sit there or is there a hole for a screw on the side of the cap?

Stainless phillips screws. You can see one if you zoom in on the first photo. But, the same screws they used to attach other items to the mast.

Next time he mast is down, stick foam in the top, cut it flush, cover that masking tape, as well as two inches down the sides around d the mast. Then cover with fiberglass mat. Mat is easy to work with since it conforms to off shaped. Four layers should work. Six for next owner marvels at durability type durability

Ixp

I received the bearing kit from blue water yachts. Here it is with instructions. It's not as beefy as I thought. The white part is plastic which I haven't seen in bearings before.

Yea forget that, make your own it’s not very hard. You’ll need to do a little measuring and trim the base of the mast equal to the thickness of your home made bearing PAST the thickness of the factory bearing, so you don’t need to adjust your rigging.
My bearing project was kind of a hack job. I had to get big thick round plates, and 3/8 inch balls, because I needed to trim the base of my mast due to corrosion. (Dog pee, believe it or not)
So I trimmed off the bad metal and then made a bearing to make up for the missing mast length. Therefore my bearing was 3/8 plate rounds, x2, plus 3/8 balls. I used five balls in a starboard plastic carrier. It’s much heavier than it needs to be but it did the job.

My rec for people who want to try this would be a few thick washers the diameter of the widest part of the mast. Use 1/4 inch balls, I’d use fifteen or so. I’d use a piece of 3/16 bronze, ideally, but probably Lexan or even aluminum would work for the carrier.use a drill press to drill 1/4 in holes to place the bearings in the carrier. There’s a welded bolt in the mast pivot that holds everything together. The stock bolt should have enough length to do the above, however I needed to get a new one welded in, because my bearing was so much thicker. I also needed the shop to drill the bolt holes in the two heavy 3/8 plates I bought on eBay since I don’t have a drill press. It all went together fine and pivots in the slightest breeze. I may make a new carrier with ten balls instead of just five because I like overkill on boats. With ten balls it should last as long as the boat. I’ll have to find a chunk of bronze the correct thickness snd someone with a drill press though.

Ix

Prospect wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 1:16 pm I received the bearing kit from blue water yachts. Here it is with instructions. It's not as beefy as I thought. The white part is plastic which I haven't seen in bearings before.

Yea, that's what I installed from BWY. Been probably 10 years now. Still works. Doesn't look like much but works well.

Ix, I applaud you. Too much work for me though.

Have you looked at the straightness of the mast. I bent my mast and as a result it would not rotate. Got it straightened and viola back to rotating agan.

Finally warmed up enough to get the bearing replaced. It looks like the old one was original and never serviced. The instructions said to not over tighten but never gave any specific torque specs. I tightened it to a point where the plate rotated freely and easily. Better than the oppoysy I guess.