OK, so I decided to raise the boom about 7 inches on the mast to allow more
headroom in the cockpit and possibly make room for a bimini some day. (I
have 10 to 12 inches leeway at the top of the mast when the mainsail is
fully raised.) I disconnected the boom by pulling the pin at the gooseneck,
and with some difficulty removed four bolts that fasten the bracket to the
mast. In the process, I stripped one bolt and had to drill it out, which
also ruined the threads on the receiving end of the bracket. (The bolts
screw into the bracket and pass on through holes drilled into the mast,
which also have a slight thread.) I drilled new holes into the mast at the
new location 7 inches up and tried to cut new threads in the ruined hole in
the bracket, but failed. (My threading tool broke off in the hole. Did I
mention I'm not real handy?) Next, I ruined another hole when a second bolt
got jammed and the head stripped, and I had to drill IT out. (I remained
remarkably cool through all of this.)
So let's summarize: I now have two working bolts out of four holding the
connecting bracket to the mast at the new location. The good news is the
two working bolts are the topmost and bottommost bolts. And the connection
set-up consists of an outer bracket through which the bolts pass and an
inner bracket with threads that sits in the sail track. When the bolts are
tightened the two brackets are pressed together pinching against the lip of
the sail track. The fact that the bolts pass on through both brackets into
the mast itself also gives added adhesion, at least as far as vertical
movement is concerned.
SO MY QUESTION IS.... am I screwed having only two bolts holding the
gooseneck connection brackets to the mast? Isn't most of the pressure at
that point vertical pressure? If so, it seems that two bolts might be
sufficient. If not, and if I need to have four bolts securing it, it seems
that my options are: 1) re-drilling and re-threading the two bad holes
(remember my track record on that is not good), or getting a new inner
connecting bracket (the one that goes inside the track, with threads). If
that's what I must do, does anyone know where I can get one? (Mine is an 89
C27 Tall Rig).
Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any helpful suggestions anyone
might care to offer.
Jeff Sheler
s/v Windsome
C27TR #6594
Hampton, VA
