J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum One Design Class Rules Mast Step Postion

True, the relationship between the headstay length and the mast step is vital, I wonder if on VEEJAY, the partners are correct. Can you achieve the proper J measurement 11' 6" +/_ 1/2" at the partners. That is the fulcrum point.

So OK ...
1. reset the step to 25mm [marina mechanic under my 'supervision' ... remember there are not a lot of people who have a hint as to what moving a mast step is in a power boat community ... nice thing about j30 people is we have to know what we are looking to do ... duh only took me 27 years to get to this one. ]

2. quick soda blast, prime and paint ... base looks new.

3. took the forestay out 3in. from where it was -- to a measured length of ~35'8, which pins to the stem 2 in. above the measurement point ... so I am probably a half inch under max 35' 10.5". [It is easier to measure center pin to center pin when off boat. Have 2 treads showing in turnbuckle so didn't get much room to go much beyond.]

4. mast max aft in partners ... measures to 11' 6"

5. tightened starting innners, then outers, then inners loos ~30 ...mast is way straighter than ever has been with a tiny bit of pre bend, minimal backstay tension -- not flopping loose.

6. Tension on roller furling appears to be adequate to avoid foil whip lash ... and tighter than before.

7. will test tomorrow, then regatta against known phrf competitors this weekend.

How are the screws attached? Are there imbedded nuts or are they tapped into the fiberglass. I'm afraid an impact wrench will shear the screws. After a month of PB Blaster there is no sign of movement without the impact wrench.

They are screwed into the mast step directly. If frozen cut off, drill, then fill and drill again.

There is lots of info in this thread.
Last winter I saturated the four mast step screws with WD-40 (screws all sitting in a pool of WD-40). In the spring I heated the screws with a propane torch and smacked them with an impact driver. Screws came loose
My biggest worry was that I would set the boat on fire when I ignited the screws saturated in WD-40 (I did not):)
I, of course cannot assure you that you won't break the screw heads off, but this technique worked for me

When I had the mast step moved on my boat last summer, we ended up cutting the bolts off flush and re-drilling.