Partners Supplier

[Ian McColgin]

I don't think spartight a good replacement for the partners. Given the potential damage to the deck and substructure, I'd give some thought to having a good fabricator make up a new collar.

The question I'd have first is how the collar fits to whatever holds it in place and distributes the loads out to the gunnel.

When you have the fabricator make your new collar, have him give it a little taper such that the bottom is slightly smaller than the top. Make the wedges of the same taper but starting a bit thinner than the bottom of the gap and going to a bit wider than the top. That way, the wedges will land evenly along both the mast surface and the collar, properly spreading the strain.

Wedges are far easier to get in and out than a spartight unit unless the spartight slides easily on the mast. For stepping the mast, you want a nice big enough hole in the partners to give wiggle room to get the heel of the mast into the step. For unstepping you still want the wiggle room because anything other than a perfect pick will cause the mast, spartight and collar all bind, which may be how this unit was damaged in the first place.

G'luck