hi.
I tore the mast off the base of my '81 H16 this morning. It was my first time stepping the mast and I was having difficulty before this happened, but I finally got it near vertical. And then the mast came off the base. It was all a bit scary and out-of-control.
The base actually tore. The rivets stayed in the mast. It looks like there aren't any more good spots for rivets in the end of the mast because it looks like this happened to the previous owner(s). The base has 4 torn holes too.
So my plan is to:
a.) cut 3/4" off the bottom on my mast
b.) buy a new base and a stepping link(I was borrowing one)
c.) drill and 4 new SS rivets
My questions:
1.) Is this a good plan?
2.) it looks like there is a flotation bag in the mast, can I just push it further up into the mast, out of the way of my new cut?
3.) While the mast was down, I noticed a small corrosion hole about 4" from the bottom. Is that a potential new concern?
4.) There is a H16 mast for sale in my area for $200. This seems like a simpler/cheaper solution. Will most used mast have these issues?
thanks in advanced,
momentarily boatless,
frank