Mast step off center!

[Rozinante]

I have another post in the repairs forum regarding my 1966 Cheoy Lee Herreshoff Rozinante. If you have not read that post, I am in the process of overhauling the cabin interior and repairing a hole in the keel. I have also noticed that the mast step is well off center. Like roughly 1.25 inches to port! It is obvious that this setting was intended as the mast partner and step both line up. What gets me is why they would do this. I have sighted down the mast and it appears to be straight. When in the water the boat does not list and the mast appears to be pointed straight up there too. It puzzles me. Any ideas why this is as such? Thank you. -Bryan

[Hirilondë]

No boat is perfect, but that seems quite extreme. I would definitely consider moving the mast to center, but I would certainly investigate the situations a lot more first. It won't be an easy fix.

To most here I will sound like a broken record, but please feel free to post pictures. And welcome to the forum.

[Tim]

I have another post in the repairs forum regarding my 1966 Cheoy Lee Herreshoff Rozinante. If you have not read that post, I am in the process of overhauling the cabin interior and repairing a hole in the keel. I have also noticed that the mast step is well off center. Like roughly 1.25 inches to port! It is obvious that this setting was intended as the mast partner and step both line up. What gets me is why they would do this. I have sighted down the mast and it appears to be straight. When in the water the boat does not list and the mast appears to be pointed straight up there too. It puzzles me. Any ideas why this is as such? Thank you. -Bryan

That is a lot, but not unheard of probably. I bet most people (me included) have never measured their production boats' mast step location, and given how asymmetrical most boats are, I am not surprised to hear that you step may be off a bit.

I would leave it alone unless you have other reason to believe it's screwing up the whole boat. But it's been like that for many, many years, and it sounds from your overall description that it isn't causing any undue issues--and in fact that the boat is set up based on that location.

Just out of curiosity, what are your reference points for determining this asymmetry, and are you assured of the overall accuracy not only of those reference points, but of the entire boat as constructed? Many boats are surprisingly different from side to side, particularly older ones where mold making (and building, for that matter) were not as finely-tuned and accurate as they are today (not that these inconsistencies don't exist in new production boats--I bet they do, in spades).

Not that I spend much time measuring for it specifically, but every boat where I've had opportunity to make measurements for interior work, bulkheads, or what have you are full of inconsistencies and asymmetrical measurements. So in and of itself, I wouldn't feel particularly alarmed about your mast step if I were you.

[Rozinante]

I did not measure from side to side at all actually. It just jumps right out at me when I look forward. I guess I'm looking mostly at the poured concrete underneath the mast step and the notch cut in the berth supports which makes it obvious that the mast partner is installed as far to port as possible. I will do some further observing.