Mast step replacement

I have a new mast step.

I haven't tried that hard yet but it seems like removing
The step from the stainless rod will be tough.

It seems like I have two options.

1. If the two parts, the step and it's rod can be separated as well as the one on the boat I will be in good shape. Seems like an old ss rod threaded in to an alu casting could be tough to separate.

Any ideas how to get them apart, or is it not worth trying?

Or......

2. If the parts are to stay together I will have to remove the long ss bar that runs though the hull castings and the striker rod to put on the new one.

Long story short, my boat cannot come apart.

How do I get that out and back in without bending it?

Which option seems best??

I just replaced the Mast Step on my boat. I had to cut the old mast step into 3 pieces to free it from the dolphin striker post.

I recommend that you review Matt Miller's article in Hobie's "Help With Repair" forum, fourth topic from the top of the forum.

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7079


or the actual article, "Getting in Step":

http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/h16-step-replace.pdf

_________________
Tim
84 H16
82 H16
87 H14T
Tortola Sails: 115222
Blue Prism Sails: 88863
Clearwater, FL

Thanks, that has sparked an idea. The new one should be easier as it isn't attached to a boat. I can soak it liquid wrench for ages and put it in a vice. Can I use heat? I don't want to mess up the alu.

The one on the boat I will just cut off. I was worried about trying to unscrew it and torquing the striker. Any hints for cutting it off without damaging the ss threads on the post ?

After I removed the rivets in the mast step, I was able to tap the bottom of the dolphin striker post with a 2x4 and push it up about 2" through the front crossbar. This made it easier to work on.

Then I used a sawzall and did not cut all the way to the threads of the dolphin striker post or to the front crossbar. After two vertical cuts about 120 degrees apart, I used a chisel in one of the cuts to break the front section of the old mast step off. Unfortunately that was not enough to free the post from the remainder of the mast step so I made another cut to section the remainder into two pieces and this time when I split them they both fell off.

The threads on the post were still in good shape so I cleaned them with a wire brush and ran a nut up/down on it to clean the threads. The new mast step should easily thread onto the post.

Several years ago I epoxied together the frame of my boat so taking the dolphin striker rod off the post or out of the two front corner castings was not an option. You can loosen the nuts on the ends of the dolphin striker rod and it will make it easier to work with the post.

To get the new mast step to align properly with the post and front crossbar, I had push the post down enough so that I could file some of the top hole in the front crossbar for the post, the back section of the front crossbar and the inside back lip of the new mast step.

_________________
Tim
84 H16
82 H16
87 H14T
Tortola Sails: 115222
Blue Prism Sails: 88863
Clearwater, FL

Awesome thanks, I can do that. As long as I can get the new mast step off it's striker post I should be good.