Track to aft edge of foremast...?

[Heli-Pilot]

Ian, Prudence is a staysail schooner; ergo no gaffs, hoops, wishbones etc.

A "feather," huh Brion; I'll rmember that term. The 7/8" stainless track I have is fairly old but in very nice shape. In fact, I removed it from Prudence's mainmast when we re-rigged her a couple years back. Though I wouldn't mind using the Schaefer product, it's kind of nice to be able to use something I already have and save the money saved for something else.

The starboard is not as dense as Delrin, but it does have a UV inhibitor. And, not only to ease the installation, I was planning on drilling the holes in the starboard just a bit oversize to possibly releave lateral stress on the starboard and have it mainly taken by the fasteners and track.

Roy

[Ian McColgin]

Ah, my old Goblin was rigged that way and had some soft eye stays. A simple spacer under the track with a gap for each eye did the job. The spacer was fir, looked a treat and was easily varnished without removing the track.

Since the spacer is thin, drill the screw holes just a bit oversized in the spacer (but not the mast) and put a little sealer in. I do it by giving each hole a small squirt before laying the track on and screwing down. That way the screws carry the sealer in but you don't get goop all over.

G'luck

[Ian McColgin]

By the way, on Goblin the throat of the fisherman took a very severe strain. Since it landed at a site where there was a compression block inside the mostly hollow mast, that area was reinforced by a couple of feet of through-bolts rather than just screws.

[SV Papillon]

The step on Martha's old foremast was not teak, it's silver bali, I know this because it is my main mast now. There are plenty of suitible teak alternatives to use that are going to be cheeper than starbaord, I would not trust starboard at that long of a run to be stable, you will not be able to glue a scarf in it either or get runs over 14', it also has no compression. If you are on the east coast Gannon and Benjiman can get you silver bali, otherwise I would probaly try sapele which is abundant and affordable. FYI the track blocking is fastened to the bast with #16 bronze screws. As Robert kept the original track when I got the mast I used harken as a replacment.

Jake