A few weeks ago I purchased what I believe to be a Hobie 14 Turbo that is in pretty decent shape. I go to take it out (first time sailing in years) and realize that I should have used a Mast Step Hinge kit to step the mast. To my disgust I broke off the pin holes in the Mast Step and now need to replace it. I purchased one from a Marine Store online. It looked like the correct part and it is very similar. The angle is only slightly different along the top edges. But, the main issue I seem to face is that the center hole at the base of the cup is not threaded. It appears to be a roughly 1/4 inch hole in the new mast step. However in my broken original that I took off the boat, it's about a 9/16 fine threaded hole that the large stainless steel rod threads into from below. I believe this part is called the Dolphin Striker. Did these Dolphin Strikers come stock on all Hobie14s? Is this Dolpin Striker an aftermarket? It does thread literally into the 9/16 inch hole in the base of my original mast step. I did notice on the Marine Store's website that they have a threaded mast step for the Hobie 16, but I didn't see a threaded mast step for the Hobie 14. This is my first experience with a Hobie 14. I've had a Hobie 16 in the past, but I don' know if this particular part is interchangeable. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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