Bluewater Evidence · Ocean Proven
76% confidenceJohn Neal's Boats to Consider for Ocean Cruising lists the Mason 63, rated 1 of 5: 'Traditional designs, short waterlines, deck leaks and high maintenance.' Its capsize screen value is 1.65. No named passage is on file yet.
The Mason 63 is an Al Mason staysail ketch built by Ta Shing in Taiwan, built from 1988.
sailboatdata.com lists a long keel, 63.58 ft overall on a 46.67 ft waterline, 16.5 ft of beam and 7 ft of draft. Displacement is 64,400 lb with 15,000 lb of ballast, and the staysail ketch carries about 1,592 sq ft.
John Neal rates Masons 1 of 5 for their traditional design, short waterlines, deck leaks and high maintenance (see Known Issues).
Neal reports deck leaks and high maintenance on Mason designs.
Inspection: Check for leaks at deck fittings, hatches, ports and chainplates, and for water damage below.
Documented repairs and system-specific fixes reported for the Mason 63, drawn from known-issue write-ups and video transcripts.
⚙ mast boot"This stuff is called Spartite, it seals the mast in this boot... every time it's loaded down it's separating the mast from the Spartite and it's just leaking a little." Fix: a bead of 5200 run all the way around the mast where the original seal had gapped.
What sailing channels say about the Mason 63, quoted from video transcripts with a link to the exact moment. Opinions belong to the speakers; the written review above stays independent of them.
warns⚙ running riggingPre-passage inspection: "this is the jib halyard... there's a pretty good [chafe here], worn through all the way to the stay set. This will break underway if it gets enough strain on it." The mizzen halyard had a similar, worse chafe point.
recommends⚙ engine"This bad boy is a two-stroke Detroit Diesel 453, arguably one of the best diesel engines ever made," just rebuilt. "This boat has an absolutely breathtaking engine room with full access to everything, making oil changes and maintenance very easy." The deck above the engine can even be lifted off to pull it with a crane.
warns⚙ electrical systemUnderway, the navigation-light breaker kept tripping: a wire through the stern pulpit had chafed and was grounding to the lifelines, which only sparked once the whisker poles touched the standing rigging and completed the circuit. "It's not going to start a fire unless there's grease or oil or diesel on your clothes, but it's still a problem."
repairs⚙ mast boot"This stuff is called Spartite, it seals the mast in this boot... every time it's loaded down it's separating the mast from the Spartite and it's just leaking a little." Fix: a bead of 5200 run all the way around the mast where the original seal had gapped.
recommendsBeating upwind reefed down: "we are doing 10 knots right now, 10 knots with a reef in the main and a reef in the mizzen and the jib fully out... this is the nicest 10 knots I've ever done on any boat." On the boat's weight: "this is one thing about [a boat this heavy]: it goes through the water, it doesn't go over the water."
