CD25 Mast Step

[FL Dan]

I recently bought a CD25 and am doing some work on it before I put 'er in. The deck is solid and the previous owner sailed her without incident. However from the cabin if you reach up into the mast step, you can feel rotted metal. The fiberglass under the metal is very solid. On survey, the surveyor said, "BEFORE VENTURING OUTSIDE OF PROTECTED WATERS, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT A REPUTABLE FIBERGLASS CONTRACTOR CUT BACK THE AREA BELOW THE MAST FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, AND REPAIR OR REPLACE THE REINFORCING STRUCTURE FOR THE THE MAST BASE." I'm going to have my boat yard check it out. Before I do, I'm curious if others have done work to remediate under the mast step. If so, I'm curious what type of work has been done. I've seen on larger CDs that people have installed a post under the mast step. However, on the 25 there would be almost no room to get up into the V berth. Thanks so much.

[FL Dan]

Hi, any thoughts here from anyone? It seems like a relatively common problem with older CDs so I would think others would have run into it. Thanks so very much.

[Megunticook]

When I bought my Ty Senior, the surveyor noticed water had leaked through the top of the cabin because a previous owner had improperly sealed a hole they drilled. The guy I bought the boat from had filled the hole with resin which arrested the damage, but water definitely got into the laminated wood crossbeam that reinforces the area below the mast step. He thought it would be fine but said if I wanted I could cut out some of the plastic liner in the cabin and have a look. I did that, but the beam is obscured by some sort of gray hard material so I could not actually see it. No signs of sagging or movement, though.

Sounds like the 25 has a different construction. Not sure if you can take a Dremel tool and cut out a section of the cabin liner to take a peek.

[FL Dan]

Good thoughts. Thanks. Yes, there seems to be a steel plate spanning the cabin ceiling/deck. The steel isn't stainless unfortunately. It's sandwiched between fiberglass so it's tough to say how rotted the steel is without some major cutting.

[tartansailor]

If the fiberglass is stained black, there is an issue. If not, you are probably ok.
This is based on experience with a corroded iron backing plate.