Mast limber holes or drain?

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Don Crossley

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Jan 19, 2022, 1:38:20 AM1/19/22
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Hello,
I'm wondering if anyone knows if there was ever a drain or limber holes to allow water to escape from around the periphery of the mast step? I know the metal mast base has a hole in the centre to let water out, but I'm talking about the area around the outside of the mast. I've looked around mine but can't find any, although they could have once been there and somehow covered by dirt and/or paint over the years.

See photo of the area I'm referring to.

Thanks,
Don
1987 NS30U #369 Breezin'
Vancouver BC
PXL_20211129_235122637.jpg

Mike BIANKA

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Jan 19, 2022, 9:38:27 AM1/19/22
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Don

On my 1986 30U the answer is no. I once did find several gallons in the space one day.when I did not tape the mast collar one rainy season. It's also something I check now during the winter storage season. Usually it remains dry.

Mike
BIANKA
1986 30U

Joe Valinoti

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Jan 19, 2022, 9:48:32 AM1/19/22
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Mine has limber holes, but I don’t remember where.  I’ve never had water accumulate there.
 
Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

~~~~~(\_ ~(\_ ~(\_~~~~~~~~~~

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Mike BIANKA

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Jan 19, 2022, 10:26:07 AM1/19/22
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Joe

I think Don is referring to the area outside of the mast step base casting. Not the drain hole under that is under the mast step.

Mike
BIANKA
1986 30U
Long Island

Joe Valinoti

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Jan 19, 2022, 10:57:01 AM1/19/22
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I remember weep holes outside the mast that drain that compartment into the bilge.

Peter Grabow

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Jan 19, 2022, 12:27:42 PM1/19/22
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Hi Don,

My 1987 30 Ultra 430 has them. The holes are at the aft end, close to the corners so they drain to the bilge, if I recall correctly.... so at least one of them should have been visible in the lower left corner of your photo.

Should be easy enough to drill two small holes at those corners to allow the water to drain.

Not to cause trouble, but there should also be holes that allow the water to drain from the anchor-chain locker forward of the mast compartment...

Peter Grabow
S/V CAKE WALK III
1987 30 Ultra 430
Jersey City, NJ


On Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 1:38:20 AM UTC-5 doncr...@gmail.com wrote:

doncr...@gmail.com

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Jan 19, 2022, 2:46:51 PM1/19/22
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Thanks to all who replied, saves me looking any further for non-existent drain holes. I will consider drilling a couple of holes when mast is out. And when I next pull out the anchor chain, I will look to drain holes there too.

Cheers,

Don

 

From: ina-nonsuch-di...@googlegroups.com <ina-nonsuch-di...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Peter Grabow
Sent: January 19, 2022 9:28 AM
To: INA Nonsuch Discussion Group <INA-Nonsuch-Di...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Mast limber holes or drain?

 

Hi Don,

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Jim K

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Feb 1, 2022, 7:48:52 PM2/1/22
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Don,

I saw your posting regarding mast drain / limber holes and I thought there was one in the wooden support that the mast step is attached to but I didn’t want to say anything until I could find photographic proof. I was just going through my photo library to answer another posting and came across the photo which showed the drain hole I thought I remembered seeing.

I’ve never had any standing water in the mast compartment but rain that does come down the mast on both inside & outside surfaces will collect in the mast shoe and drain to the bilge via a drain hole in the plate on which the shoe is mounted. We installed a bow thruster during the refit and in doing so we discovered there is a space between the plywood plate to which the mast shoe is glassed and the inside of the hull which allows water to drain from the anchor locker into the bilge. There is also a large diameter hole in the bottom of the mast shoe which corresponds to the same size hole in the base (foot) of the mast. As you can see in my photo there is a smaller hole in the plywood plate on which the shoe for the mast is glasses to. I can’t say that the hole was put there at the Hinterhoeller factory because I’m the 4th owner of this Nonsuch. I’m going to assume it came from the factory as I wouldn’t and I don’t think any owner would undertake drilling a hole in this location lightly. Next time you pull your mast see if you can’t spot a remnant of a small drain hole there. Also please note the grounding wire to the mast is entering that compartment through a hole at the aft bulkhead which is level with the floor allowing drainage from that compartment to the bilge. If Breezin doesn’t have that hole it’s easily remedied by drilling one there as it will exit into the space under the foot of the berth and into the bilge. I hope this helps.

If I’m not mistaken wasn’t ‘Breezin’ was a Texas boat. 
I bought mine (formerly ‘Simplicity’) in Corpus Christi TX and had it shipped up to WA State in 2014.
Hopefully our paths will cross on the water up here.

Cheers!

Jim Krzyzewski 
N30U #422 ‘Toyger’
Port Ludlow WA

E3807D1F-8AD5-4C4A-AA06-26AEE49B0952.jpeg
32052DE3-7D35-4A19-BFC5-5971FE06AE97.jpeg

Tim in STL, NS26 White O'morn

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Feb 2, 2022, 11:27:08 AM2/2/22
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Here is a photo if the mast step on White O'morn, our 1986 26U:
I believe that we are, at least, the third owner.  We had her shipped in from Halifax where she was known as Summer Girl.

Tim in STL
White O’morn NS26U #216
Harbor Point Yacht Club
West Alton, MO
26U Mast Step.jpeg

Peter Grabow

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Feb 2, 2022, 1:10:35 PM2/2/22
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I was on the boat the other day and took these photos to clearly show the limber holes in the mast-base compartment on my 30 Ultra #430...

Peter Grabow
S/V CAKE WALK III
1987 30 Ultra 430
Jersey City, NJ

20220125_134716.jpg

20220125_134608.jpg
On Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 1:38:20 AM UTC-5 doncr...@gmail.com wrote:

doncr...@gmail.com

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Feb 4, 2022, 4:39:27 PM2/4/22
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Thanks again to all for your replies, info, and photos. My mast collar leaks through the deck bolts, and water pools in the mast step compartment. I am planning on pulling the mast and redoing the mast collar next month. I am aware that there is a drain hole beneath the mast, but none that I can see in the mast step compartment, so maybe I’ll drill a hole when the mast is out of the way.

 

Jim, I bought my boat here in BC and renamed it Breezin’, it originally came from US east coast in 2005.

 

Thanks again,

Don

 

From: ina-nonsuch-di...@googlegroups.com <ina-nonsuch-di...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Peter Grabow
Sent: February 2, 2022 10:11 AM
To: INA Nonsuch Discussion Group <INA-Nonsuch-Di...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: Mast limber holes or drain?

 

I was on the boat the other day and took these photos to clearly show the limber holes in the mast-base compartment on my 30 Ultra #430...

 

Peter Grabow

S/V CAKE WALK III

1987 30 Ultra 430

Jersey City, NJ

 


On Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 1:38:20 AM UTC-5 doncr...@gmail.com wrote:

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone knows if there was ever a drain or limber holes to allow water to escape from around the periphery of the mast step? I know the metal mast base has a hole in the centre to let water out, but I'm talking about the area around the outside of the mast. I've looked around mine but can't find any, although they could have once been there and somehow covered by dirt and/or paint over the years.

 

See photo of the area I'm referring to.

 

Thanks,

Don

1987 NS30U #369 Breezin'

Vancouver BC

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Ernie Abugov N22 - #56 "Moustaches" Toronto

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Feb 4, 2022, 4:59:51 PM2/4/22
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Don -

If you are getting water in through the deck bolts (or even the bolts through the aluminum mast collar), I am certain that the core in your foredeck is soaked. That core is, doubtless, fir ply, not balsa. Fir ply was smartly used by Hinterhoeller, in this particular area, because it can stand up to being soaked for years without turning into porridge but ........ guaranteed ...... it is soaked through. 

How do I know ?? Been there, done that, got the multi-thousand dollar T-shirt. All from water ingressing through the deck bolts, etc. Arrrggghhhh .......   Get someone to carefully take moisture readings of your whole foredeck.

Here is a photo of some of my core samples and nasty numbers from a moisture meter and a lovely photo showing my foredeck, all ground out. I am not doing this to rattle you but to make you aware of the need to check this out.

Good luck.

Ernie A. in Toronto

Ground out foredeck 2.jpg
Core.jpg

Ward Woodruff

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Feb 4, 2022, 5:02:40 PM2/4/22
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When I first had my 1988 33, the bolts fastening the mast collar to the deck had caused the bolt holes in the aluminum collar to corrode.  The bolt heads had sunk about half the thickness of the bolt head into the collar.  Water was coming in around all of the bolts.  The ,first winter I removed the collar from the boat and had a machine shop bore out the holes and then install a custom aluminum flanged bushing in each bolt hole.  I filled the bolt holes in the deck with thickened epoxy as those had also become oversized.  The bolt holes in the deck were then redrilled using the collar as a template.  The collar was then bedded in 5200 and refastened with new bolts.  No more leaks.

Ward Woodruff
N33 #8 Margery
Niantic bay, CT


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