Looking for an Infusion Mast Base

If anyone has a bead on an infusion mast base I would appreciate it. The dealers I have contacted are out, and I'm told the factory is as well. We cracked ours at Dunedin when taking down the mast.

how did that happen? Curious

Probably the same way I broke mine. Too long of a retaining pin, gets caught in the groove in the middle of the beam during the mast lowering process.

Todd that's exactly how it happened! The pin was 3/8" longer than it should have been, but I didn't think to check it as it was what the previous owner used. I explains why he had to epoxy it previously though.

Call Rick Bliss at new england catamarans... he might have one. If not email Jack... he might have a base that I warrantied off my boat a year or two ago. Turns out the warranty one wasn't any better, they are all just messed up.

I spoke to Rick this morning, and he is out. I'm waiting to see if Jack has any. Cheers

That was the story with my inf mast base too. I found a local aluminium welding guy who repaired within 20 minutes

If you can't find one, let me know. Send it to me and I'll weld it up for you for free. Hate to see anyone miss out on any sailing if I can help it.

Stepping pins are overrated. I sailed my N20 for a year and never put a stepping pin in.

I think I actually have one. Shoot me an email- velocitytrey (at) gmail.com

Trey, did you ever get my e-mail back about the rudder?

Lee,

That's a very nice offer and I appreciate it. Where it broke leaves it funcionalble but will require an extra set of hands while stepping/unstepping, so I can get by with it for now. The previous owner had already epoxied a different break at least once, so I think a new one is in order.

Cheers

Pete, I too have the broken mast base problem. Instead of using an extra hand, I just take my "bing bong" (Jake Kohl derived term for the rotation inducing lines) and run one through my spin halyard turning block on the front beam, and cleat it. This puts downward pressure on the mast while I raise it. Never had it pop off the ball during raising or lowering.

it's "anti-bing bonger"...technically "anti-bing bong device"...as in, I'm sailing in light air with chop and my boom/mast/sail are bing bonging around and it's time to "engage the anti-bing bonger!"

Bing Bonging. That's what that bloody annoying racket is called?? You must be more patient than me because I seem to call it unrepeatable things.

Anybody still need an Infusion Mast Base?

I have one - new/unused...

-Mike

Mike can you check your PM

And we have a winner!!!

We cracked ours last night. It was on its way out. The pin wouldn't go through both holes at the same time, like the ball was too big for the mast step?? Anyone have one in stock? Waiting on a call back from Rick but would like a new one by Monday when we re-rig.

Also, we've tried dropping 3 ways now, just going straight back, the other rotating so the mast is 90 degrees to the boat and the final with the mast rotated 180 degrees like w did last night. This latter method cracked the mast base casting. The 90 degrees sideways method took a chunk out of my aluminum beam when the rotator hit the beam. Straight back has issues with the rotator hitting everything, even though I rotate the rotator arm up and out of the way.

Never had these issues on the 20. I'm thinking my post isn't setup correctly, like it's too short to allow the mast to pivot properly. Thoughts?

how in the world did you drop it straight back?...I don't see how the rotator can catch the beam either.

My casting has had the ear for the pin broken ever since I got the boat. I haven't bothered to fix it. I step like normal and just keep a little downward pressure the mast while I'm handling it and have found that the mast socket is so deep that it captures the ball pretty well even without the pin. So I haven't messed with it. If there's an extra pair of hands available, I'll have someone hold the base down for extra security but it's not necessary.

Dropping it straight back required turnign it 90 degrees during the drop. It didn't work.

We've had the mast base jump the ball on the Infusion once, don't care to relive that experience. It was coming down I think going up we'll be fine. Talking to Rick Bliss it'll work out fine if I keep a little pressure on it. Still ordered a new one, hopefully the holes aren't mis-aligned so we are good to go.

the F20c mast base doesn't have a hole for a pin..

The one Mike had did.