:: Hello all,

:: How big of a deal is a crack in the mast support beam?
:: The crack is between the deck and the beam (1970 tuna).
:: Is this something that a mast jack can take care of, or
:: does it need to be glassed/epoxied, or does the whole
:: support beam need to be replaced (I read on another
:: thread that the whole beam is available for ~$500)?
:: Thanks in advance,

:: Derek

I am more than half way through completely restoring a 1968 tuna and the mast support beam on my boat had cracked and sagged noticably also. After drilling some exploratory holes and cutting away a portion of the glass skin I discovered that the beam was mostly rotten from water entering around the chainplates and beneath the mast. Worse yet, the water damage extended to the balsa core between the outer deck skin and the support beam and extending well aft. Ultimately I ended up replacing a large area of deck core (around 14x36") and glassing in one of the new replacement beams from Schock. In the end it came out really well and I am glad I did it but it was a difficult, nasty job. And yes, the new beam was around $500 but, as someone who replied to one of my previous posts pointed out, that is a minor part of the equation. The person who owned my boat previously sailed it using a mast jack and I am sure that a lot of boats with similar problems continue to be sailed. But how long they can get away with it for I have no idea. Good luck, and if you do decide to install a new beam feel free to contact me by e-mail if you have any questions.

Stephen Pedersen