Chrysler Sailors Forum

My fellow Chrysler addicts, your sage advice is coveted. I am in the process of Chrysler 26' sailboat hunting and I am considering one or two at this time. The owner of one of them has told me there are cracks froming around the mast step and it would need to be booted or re-fiberglassed soon. In addition, there is minor flexing in parts of the main deck, separation from the plywood core. Have any of you had to deal with these two problems? What did you do and what was the @ cost? I am glad the owner was straightforward with me and I know finding a Chrysler 26' at their age without some type of problem is unrealistic, but knowing this should I take this one off my short list?
Thank you
HP18carr

For problems with all Chrysler sail boats, this forum is the place to look for help. But keep this in mind, The bigger the boat, the biger the job, an the more things to fix. Repairs don't cost much, but takes a lot of thim. So let me say this, do you like sailing or working. I sail my C20, an work on my C26 an for buting up the sails on a C 26 a life-vest is reqird an you ride on it when sailing. On the C20 you ride in it, an I don't feal the need for a life-vest. So you deside is biger better????

The spidering around the mast step isn't that unusual, the C26 doesn't have much of a mast support from the mast step/cabin top to the keel. If you open the head door and look in at the corner to your left, whatever bit of wood you find is the support. There's a great place for an upgrade right there.

If the soft spots are around the forehatch, its a job, but not as much as the cabin top.

Now if the soft area of the deck and the delam is around the mast step, I'd be concerned as you've got far greater repairs ahead.

Thanks to all who have or who will give advice, I am sure this information will head me in the right direction

EE,

I have the original "scrap wood" in the head for a mast compression post, is there a good thread or something with exact masurments and "ho to" for a upgrade compression post? I am still trying to fugure out the best practices for the starboard chainplate upgrade...

I you can do the work yourself and you have time, that is one thing, otherwise boatyard labor on these issues can be very expensive.

I'm (almost) ashamed to admit I still haven't changed my post. Was going to do so while the mast was off, but decided to wait until mast was up and there was pressure on the step.

Was thinking of slightly loosening the rig, using a bottle jack and 2x4 to lightly put pressure on the cabin under the step, then remove the scrap post, and replace with a suitable metal pipe with screw on flanges.

ee, good plan, but I would think we would want to reinforce the "keel step" of the foot fo the new compression post or somehow tie it in to a stringer... this compression post upgrade has the potential to eliminate the mast step cracking issues as well as greatly strengthen the whole hull/deck/keel/mast assembly. for such a strong hull with a deck stepped mast, this is a suprising design deficiency. but then there are those chainplates..... it is almost as if the standing rigging was an afterthought altogether!