I've just gotten some time to catch up and review the photos in detail.  I'm not familiar with the 'swell head'. First time I've even heard the term in reference to the Rhodes.  But I agree with Peter's third point, the compression post looks to be well forward of the mast.  A look at the mast in relation to the port and the compression post in relation to the same port shows several inches of offset and as Peter suggests, unless that load can be transferred by the decking, it's going to distort.  Just my 2 cents.

Rob

enclosed head floor plan.jpg

________________________________
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> on behalf of Peter Nyberg <peter at sunnybeeches.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2024 9:08 AM
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Mast step issues?

I've just gone back through this whole thread to try to make sense of it.  I've reached some conclusions:

1) There obviously _is_ a compression post.

2) This boat is configured with the fully enclosed 'swell head'.

3) Based on pictures and the attached 'floor plan', it seems that the compression post in a 'swell head' layout is well forward of the of the position it occupies in the 'standard' layout. Perhaps someone else with a 'swell head' layout can confirm.

4) This also puts the compression post well forward of the mast (way too far forward for my liking).

5) In general, it seems that this arrangement works anyway, but is clearly failing on Matt's boat.

6) But, in order for this to work, the deck needs to be very strong in order for it to 'carry' the load from where the mast is to where the compression post is.

7) Matt's deck isn't doing the job.

So, my guess is there's rot in the deck. Otherwise, it wouldn't bend like that. The possibility that there's also rot under the cabin floor should obviously be considered as well.

I have doubts that any reasonable repair could restore the full original strength of the deck.  Therefor, I think it likely that another compression post more directly under the mast will need to added. (But the deck should be fixed too.)

That's my best guess, anyway.

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)



[ Sent From rhodes22.net ]

> On 2024-06-27, at 08:03:19 EDT, Matt Wilson wrote:
>
> So you do not see a compression post?   Someone probably removed it?
>
> Matt
>
>