HallotParson wrote:

Hi,
I am about to have a new mast step fabricated for my Pearson Vanguard, per the
specs on the owners website. The website calls for a step to be fabricated in
steel, but my question is: will this not react corrosively with my mast? Even
if painted or powdercoated, I am sure that eventually steel would contact
alluminum. Any advice on the best sollution here will be greatly appreciated.

The problem of steel reacting galvanically with the mast is a small and easily
corrected problem: just put a small piece of hi density plastic between the mast
butt and the step.

A bigger problem is putting a big hunk of steel in the bilge. It will rust away
quickly and leave you with a dirty bilge in the meantime.

I would either follow Jim W's suggestion and get the frame made in aluminum, or
else take another tack entirely and mold it out of fiberglass. A triaxial
knit/epoxy grid would be plenty strong and impervious to galvanic corrosion & rust
too. It would also bond to the hull & stringers better, improving the strength &
rigidity of the boat. Best of all, you can do it yourself with good fiberglassing
skills (which if you don't have, you would benefit by learning) and no special
equipment. And it will last at least as long as the rest of the boat, which is not
true of aluminum and definitely not true of steel.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King