All of the shrouds--lowers as well as uppers--are anchored by through-bolts. I replaced all of them as I was rebedding and refastening the mast hardware. There are no internal tubes or other reinforcements in the mast to prevent over-tightening, and I was struck by the potential for damage. I used lock nuts, and tightened them only to the point where the associated fitting is secure and the bolt and nut assembly does not rotate easily. All my halyards are external and all wiring is in a conduit, so there is internal interference.
Jim Fulton
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