Mast area noise

[John Barbour - Nature 26U Toronto]

We were out on Lake Ontario when i heard a noise coming from somewhere around the mast. The winds were about 12 knots with about 3 foot waves. We were on a close reach, and with the waves hitting the side of the boat,  there was reasonable motion  The attached video  contains the noises.

 I suspect loose wedges but have found that all of them are tight and not bottomed out.. They are wood  and I wonder if replacing them with  plastic ones would  solve the problem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 Thank you

John Barbour

Nature 26U 

Toronto

 

[tumbler6201 John]

I have only ever seen the rink board (plastic) wedges so far but have also seen where people carry wood ones as back up but not as primaries

John SMYTH

Fatal Distraction 

NS30U #388

Toronto Canada. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 17, 2025, at 19:46, John Barbour - Nature 26U Toronto <jhba...@gmail.com> wrote:



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<NS26 Nature.-mast area noise Sept 17 2025.mp4>

[Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT]

I'd look for any evidence that Nature's mast step casting is damaged or loose.

If the wedges are snug and the deck collar isn't cracked .... any movement in the base would translate into lots of force on the deck.

There is an article on the website about a mast step repair that may shed some light .

Good luck diagnosing the problem.  I hops it's something easy to fix.

Rob

s/v SOAVE

NS33 #009

Cedar Point YC

Westport, CT

[Mark Powers La Reina 26C Vancouver, B.C.]

Before buying the plastic wedges you should check and make sure that the bolts at the base of the mast are all tight.

Mark Powers

[Ron Schryver]

Hi John, the noise sounds like the dreaded "mast clunk". If so, it's easily fixed by snugging up the bolts that hold the mast inside the mast base. Be careful not to overtighten the bolts because the bolts are stainless steel and the mast base is aluminum and can easily be stripped.

Ron

Ron & Diane Schryver

"Alpha Waves" 1987 NS30U #393

Georgian Bay Midland ON

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Ron & Diane Schryver

"Alpha Waves" 1987 NS30U #393

Georgian Bay Midland ON

[Joe Valinoti]

It sounds like mast noise to me.  I had similar noises and eventually replaced my wooden wedges with plastic ones and am quite happy.  One word of caution – the only way to check the set bolts at the base is to loosen the lock nuts first and then check the tightness by loosening them first.  Don’t just try and tighten them.  This will tell you if they are seized in the shoe.  If so, I believe I have a lengthy email on that subject.  My advice to anyone is if you are going to check for tightness, take them out, run a thread chaser and then screw back in with Tef Gell coating the threads.

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

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[John Barbour - Nature 26U Toronto]

Thank you everyone for the good advice. I backed out the two mast step bolts and covered the threads with stainless/aluminum anti seize compound, before re-tightening them.

I also checked the deck collar bolts and was surprised  I could relatively easily tighten them up  a half turn or so. They were almost inaccessible but my ratcheting box end wrench managed to squeeze in.

I will install plastic wedges when we launch in the spring.

John Barbour

Nature 26U

Toronto