Chamberlain Skiff - Broken Mast Step

[John Hackman]

A friend has a really nice Chamberlain Skiff in which she broke the mast step while under sail. The step is 3 pieces, 2 side cheeks and a center piece with a rabbet for the bottom of the mast. The port side cheek snapped off. It appears to have been riveted to the bottom planking, but no rivets show on the outside due to a double planked bottom. the rivets sheared off and it appears the glue used to bond the pieces together failed as well.

A few years back I built a Shellback dingy and utilized a solid block of white oak with a hole rabbeted in the center as the mast step. It is bonded to the hull with epoxy as well as 2 thru bolts.

My thought to repair the Chamberlain would be to remove the remaining step and fill the rivet holes and minor cracks with epoxy. Then craft a solid oak block slightly heavier then the existing step. I would then bond this to the hull with epoxy and thru bolt it to the hull.

The boat is crafted with no epoxy, my friend is willing to forgo the original look for piece of mind that the new step is more secure then the original. I can also keep the block shaped similar to the original so as not to detract from the beauty of this boat.

Any suggestions or ideas on the repair?

Thanks,
John Hackman
Womelsdorf, PA

[Bob Smalser]

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/7099973/103642436.jpg

I don't use much plywood, but here the thicker marine flavor and some glass to protect it excels. A small-boat mast step open at the bottom is simple to make and dries quickly, making it less prone to rot.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/7099973/266881623.jpg

[J. Dillon]

I agree with Bob .The step on this boat should be of marine ply. The stresses and strains will be better borne with ply . A one piece step could split, then the mast goes over.

JD

[rbgarr]

If the mast step pieces are in good shape, reglue them together and rivet (or bolt) through athwartships to provide support against the sideways strain from the spar, and screw it down to the keel only. No need to glue/screw to the planking IMO. Leave limber holes for draining.

[Thorne]

I made the mast step in my Chamberlain dory skiff from solid oak, epoxied to the floorboard and screwed from both top and bottom with big bronze #10's. No problems so far, but as the more experienced guys say, marine ply should take the strain better.

Saw one fail this weekend - the builder had made it in two parts, and the top part broke all 4 SS screws under sail. Glue didn't help much in that case == but a single piece both glued and screwed should be much stronger.

And as above, good drainage holes that aren't easily blocked.