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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
 Catalina 25 Specific Forum
 Mast Compression post/block under the sole.
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Chichester
Deckhand

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USA
23 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/22/2023 :  10:49:17  Show Profile  Visit Chichester's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Hi all,
I am looking for some insight, previous posts, on replacing the 1981 C25 mast compression post/block. (The block of wood under the post mast step support post.) Thanks

If life is a river then mine is a lake: dammed at each end by the chores of modern-day living.

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts

Response Posted - 04/22/2023 :  20:21:57  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
The block is embedded in the top of the cabin fiberglass and could be made of a hardwood or teak. That block sits atop the mast compression post that spans between the keel (on the bottom) and the underside of the cabin top directly underneath the mast. If my tabernacle block had deteriorated from age or rot, I’d consider replacing it with a block of pressure treated lumber, typically southern yellow pine, or several layers of pressure treated plywood sandwiched together.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
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Chichester
Deckhand

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USA
23 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2023 :  10:51:12  Show Profile  Visit Chichester's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Hi Voyager,

Thank you for your input. so, the block I'm referring to is situated under the sole at the very base of the mast compression post, in the bilge.

After a great deal of searching, it seems the terminology for this component differs from place to place. E.G. If I search C25 compression post block without clearing out search history, I end up with an array of blocks and pulleys. Some call it compression block, others call it bilge block.

I have found a block for a C30 and believe that I can get one from the Catalina Yachts Store for the 25' :https://catalinayachtsstore.com/wp/product/compression-block/

The challenge is to find someone who has actually carried out this repair, preferably without tearing up the sole....if you see what I mean.

Cheers

If life is a river then mine is a lake: dammed at each end by the chores of modern-day living.
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2023 :  17:08:33  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Which cabin layout do you have? I have a dinette style that provides access to the bilge and underneath the compression post. The two other cabin layouts (2 settees and a drop down table) and the third layout doesn’t make it so easy to access the bilge. Good luck if you have to deal with this.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5320 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2023 :  05:28:09  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Looking at the mast compression post base block in the photo it appears to be a nice solid piece and I see how it could fit underneath the compression post and rest on the keel. Being made of wood, however, it seems like it would quickly be attacked by wetness in the bilge, be it from rainwater or seawater. I think that I’d try to do something to add a wood preservative, either some kind of paint or resin products, but I don’t really have any idea about what kind of coatings to use other than creosote (which is toxic and nasty). That’s what they used to coat telephone and utility poles with to prevent rot.
I’d probably try to figure out how to take all the downward force off the post and perhaps jack up the cabin top a few mm to somehow remove the old compression post.
You’re right, it’s best to talk to someone who has actually done the job before. They’d have the most accurate and informed perspective on the job.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
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Lee Panza
Captain

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USA
465 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2023 :  07:55:09  Show Profile  Visit Lee Panza's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Just realized how long it's been since I've checked here. However, Chichester, if you're still concerned about this I have some info to pass along that could be quite relevant. However, I've got a swinger, and I'm not 100% certain it would be the same for a fixed keel (I suspect that, in most respects, it would be).

The swing-keel Cat25 is entirely different from the 30 in this respect. The hull is gently rounded - almost flat - in this area, so there was no need for Catalina to provide a tapered block there. I had installed an inspection port in the sole next to this spot, and I have a photo of the area in question. Evidently, the structure between the wood compression post and the area just above the inner surface of the hull is just fiberglass; it's an integral part of the cabin liner assembly. Between this and the hull itself, Catalina apparently just piled a mound of a purple-colored resin that hardened after the inner cabin assembly was lowered into the hull assembly. The excess squeezed out, and this allowed for an imprecise tolerance between the cabin assembly and the hull. I can post pictures to clarify this if you're still interested.

The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.

Lee Panza
SR/SK #2134
San Francisco Bay
(Brisbane, CA)
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sefoiler
Deckhand

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1 Posts

Response Posted - 02/12/2024 :  21:07:54  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Fixed keel owner here with some rot at the bottom of my compression post block. Any insights into repair/replace appreciated.
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