Hey there Nathan!
I was just looking at your webpage on the replacement mast beam you fabricated. I am going to be doing the same thing and I wondered how your project turned out in hindsight. Tim showed me your installation when I visited "The Boat Barn" some time ago and I liked the looks and wanted to duplicate it.
On another note, I keep hearing references to a "Triton Factory" in Rhode Island. What is this and is it an "open to the public" kind of thing or does one need an invitation?
-Britton
Nathan's mast beam
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dasein668
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In retrospect, my beam is WAAAAAY overbuilt. It's something like 60 or 70% larger in both width and thickness compared to the original beam. Plus it is a laminated structure. Plus it is installed with thickened epoxy adhesive. Taint going anywhere, methinks.
If I were to do it again, I think I probably wouldn't have gone to quite the extent that I did. On the other hand, it IS beefy, and I don't worry about flexion!
I think you would be fine building a laminated beam of basically the same dimensions as the original beam and installing it simply by through-bolting through the bulkhead. Still plenty strong.
Did you have a more specific question about the beam? Basically I am quite happy with it, but as I said, it is overbuilt.
As for the "Triton Factory" I think that name is a bit of a misnomer. It is a large boat shop run by the Pattersons who happen to have leased space to several other Triton owners. It is a very informal place. I think that if you could get in touch with the Pattersons you would be welcome to visit, but they are notoriously difficult to pin down. Tim may have more insight here.
If I were to do it again, I think I probably wouldn't have gone to quite the extent that I did. On the other hand, it IS beefy, and I don't worry about flexion!
I think you would be fine building a laminated beam of basically the same dimensions as the original beam and installing it simply by through-bolting through the bulkhead. Still plenty strong.
Did you have a more specific question about the beam? Basically I am quite happy with it, but as I said, it is overbuilt.
As for the "Triton Factory" I think that name is a bit of a misnomer. It is a large boat shop run by the Pattersons who happen to have leased space to several other Triton owners. It is a very informal place. I think that if you could get in touch with the Pattersons you would be welcome to visit, but they are notoriously difficult to pin down. Tim may have more insight here.
Nathan
dasein668.com
dasein668.com
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bcooke
- Master of the Arcane
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Thanks Nathan, no specific questions. Your description on your webpage is pretty complete; especially with the pictures. I was just wondering how it worked out after a season or so of use and after you had been staring at it for awhile.
I would say overbuilt is good in this case.
On a similar subject, even if you haven't taken on the project yet, I am looking at re-coring around the mast step. I had read that later model Tritons where cored with solid epoxy around the step. If this is so then I would have to believe that the epoxy coring is quite localized. I have a hole that once passed a coaxial cable through the cabin top about six inches from the mast step and it is definitely cored with balsa (naturally, the hole was not drilled oversized and plugged with thickened epoxy - which is probably why I am looking at some recoring...) Have you heard or seen anything like this?
-Britton
I would say overbuilt is good in this case.
On a similar subject, even if you haven't taken on the project yet, I am looking at re-coring around the mast step. I had read that later model Tritons where cored with solid epoxy around the step. If this is so then I would have to believe that the epoxy coring is quite localized. I have a hole that once passed a coaxial cable through the cabin top about six inches from the mast step and it is definitely cored with balsa (naturally, the hole was not drilled oversized and plugged with thickened epoxy - which is probably why I am looking at some recoring...) Have you heard or seen anything like this?
-Britton
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dasein668
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Mine is cored with balsa. Hull 668. When I do the recore, I probably will lay solid glass under the step, though it probably isn't truely necessary. Tim did this this past winter. Check his website for details.
Pretty happy with the beam.
Pretty happy with the beam.
Nathan
dasein668.com
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bcooke
- Master of the Arcane
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Welcome back Nathan. Hope the trip went well.
I haven't removed my beam yet but I have gained access to it. I am surprised by how ill fitting it is. There is a 1/4 inch gap between the beam and the lower cabin skin along the rear edge and then the beam is tapered forward for about a 3/4 inch gap along the forward edge. So really the pressure from the mast is being transferred from the cabin to the thin rear edge of the beam and then to the supports. A really strange thing is that a PO modified the mast wiring and decided to run the wires up the middle of the mast step. That means the wires run between the lower cabin surface and the beam before turning 90 degrees to go through the mast step. If the gap closes (such as when the cabin shrugs under the weight of the mast and the stays are tightened) then the wires carry all the weight to the beam. Odd.
Did your beam fit like this? I am questioning whether to use the old beam as a pattern, making adjustments for the gap and taper, or just make a new pattern from scratch.
-Britton
I haven't removed my beam yet but I have gained access to it. I am surprised by how ill fitting it is. There is a 1/4 inch gap between the beam and the lower cabin skin along the rear edge and then the beam is tapered forward for about a 3/4 inch gap along the forward edge. So really the pressure from the mast is being transferred from the cabin to the thin rear edge of the beam and then to the supports. A really strange thing is that a PO modified the mast wiring and decided to run the wires up the middle of the mast step. That means the wires run between the lower cabin surface and the beam before turning 90 degrees to go through the mast step. If the gap closes (such as when the cabin shrugs under the weight of the mast and the stays are tightened) then the wires carry all the weight to the beam. Odd.
Did your beam fit like this? I am questioning whether to use the old beam as a pattern, making adjustments for the gap and taper, or just make a new pattern from scratch.
-Britton
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dasein668
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Britton,
My beam was pretty much a mess too. I think my fit might have been a bit better than you describe, but not much. My wiring was also run up through the step, but in my case someone had just drilled a hole diagonally up through the beam itself. (see Tim's survey pics below)
I wouldn't worry about having a perfect fit, but I would definitely try to get it closer than the original as you describe. As I have said, I gap-filled between the beam and the cabintop using thickened epoxy, but in retrospect I don't think I would bother. As long as the beam is sufficiently well built and has reasonably good contact under the step and against the bulkhead, you should be fine. Witness how long these crap beams built/installed by Pearson have held up.
My beam was pretty much a mess too. I think my fit might have been a bit better than you describe, but not much. My wiring was also run up through the step, but in my case someone had just drilled a hole diagonally up through the beam itself. (see Tim's survey pics below)
I wouldn't worry about having a perfect fit, but I would definitely try to get it closer than the original as you describe. As I have said, I gap-filled between the beam and the cabintop using thickened epoxy, but in retrospect I don't think I would bother. As long as the beam is sufficiently well built and has reasonably good contact under the step and against the bulkhead, you should be fine. Witness how long these crap beams built/installed by Pearson have held up.
Nathan
dasein668.com
dasein668.com