Advice on replacing mast deck plate

[Anonymous]

I have to replace the mast deck plate on my 1995 Mac 26S. Any advice from anyone who’s done it before? At first glance it looks pretty straightforward, but I do have a couple of questions. If I use heat to soften the sealant before removing the old plate, how hot is too hot for the fibreglass? Does anyone know what kind of resin Macgregor used when building these boats? Also, would 3M 5200 be a good choice of sealant when I install the new plate, or is it too strong? I want something that can be removed later, if necessary. (Not that I expect to need it, but one never knows.)

Thanks for any advice,

Tedd

[Ron Gillies]

I did it back in 2010 on our 26S but don’t remember a lot about it and the boat has been sold. I needed to replace the mast step to use the mast raising system from Blue Water. I don’t recall the original plate being overly difficult to get off and I know I didn’t use heat. I probably used 5200 to put the new one on but in retrospect I would probably now use 4200 just in case I ever had to remove it again.

[Anonymous]

Zephyr:

It went as you described. The old plate came off quite easily. I used a bit of heat from a hot air gun but it probably wasn’t even necessary. I used 4200 to seal the new one in place.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Author]

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