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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

welding small mast holes

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John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/22/2003 : 23:47:52

I have been so busy teaching that I have not been able to visit the forum very much this fall. I'm glad to see every one is holding their own. I am considering using a linear poly what ever finish to restore my mast. I have replaced the old step with CD's deck organizer step which accepts 6 blocks. in cleaning up the mast and removing old cheek blocks and cleats there are quite a few screw holes no longer in use. At present I have blocked them with dummy rivets. I don't like the way they look. Has any one had experience whith heli-arc welding on a mast. This is not intended to repair or reinforce but simply to restore cosmetically, and to keep the mud daubers from nesting in the holes.

I lost my mom about four weeks ago. she was a great lady and an avid sailor. she sailed the north channel with my dad for many years. even recently about two or three years ago, at age 80 she was out sailing with me aboard our catalina. I miss her most terribly but thank God for having shared life with her for 50 years.

Let me know if any of you have done any welding on the mast.

John V.
Nin Bimash II
Neebish Island, MI
77 C25 sk/sr #153

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mroettersr
Navigator

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USA
148 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2003 : 00:50:37

John,
Since your repair is cosmetic only, perhaps a compound like JB Weld would do the trick. It has an aluminum like color and is used frequently for metal repairs including such things as cracked auto manifolds, etc. I lowered a van roof rack by cutting the stanctions in half and using JB Weld to hold the two parts together side by side. JB Weld held the parts together for the ten or so years my son and I owned the van and as far as I know is still holding. The stuff can be filed like metal and is pretty amazing. Hope this helps.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 11/23/2003 : 09:35:05

John, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. She sounds like a wonderful woman that we would all have liked to count among our sailing friends.

I got some fair-sized holes in my C-22 mast as a result of pulling the boat into overhead power lines. I had the holes filled by heliarc welding and it looked very good, but I would not have plugged screw holes that way. I would have just put screws or pop rivets into the holes, especially if you keep the boat in a salt water environment. Heliarc welding doesn't restore the anodizing that protects the mast.

mroettersr's suggestion is a good one, although there's no telling how long it will last. If it doesn't last, however, there's no harm done. You can still heliarc weld it if you want to.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.