[alberg30] New Alberg Owner Questions

[FINNUS505 at aol.com]

From: FINNUS505 at aol.com

In a message dated 11/6/99 12:41:28 PM Eastern Standard Time, gj262 at yahoo.com 
writes:

<< thanks Greg, I couldn't believe it myself but midway along the track it is 
now
 twisted 30 degrees to port with the top and bottom still held in place at the
 correct angle. On my rig there is one bolt at the very top of the track and 
the
 rest look like screws. The wood that the track is screwed into is still 
firmly
 in place, the middle screws are pulled out and twisted. I'll be going down to
 the boat on monday to try and take it off myself. 
  >>
Hi Gavin,
The gooseneck track is usualy extremely well attached, and as time fuses the 
ss machine screws with the aluminum mast, the union is virtualy 
inseperable!!!  It must have taken some force to wrench that track 30 
degrees, as you say.  You are lucky that on your boat the wooden spacer is 
intact.  On my boat, #255, all of the wooden track spacers were rotten, and 
had to be replaced.  Only the one under the genny track remains now to be 
done.
either a collision, or a bad jibe, or something of that nature could have 
provided the force to lift that track, I would guess.
I look at the plate on the aft end of the boom that holds the mainsheet tang 
on my boat with some doubt, as well.  If yours has recieved a wrenching 
force, then repair may be the best prevention to losing the mainsheet on a 
critical day.  Mine is popriveted in place-maybe yours is too.  If so, then 
drill out the pop rivets, and then pry out the endplate of the boom.  If 
after drilling out the pop rivets the plate still will not budge, it is 
probably the result of years of salt and oxidation wedging in the seam, as 
well as te paint you mention.  I don't like to heat aluminum with a torch to 
loosen thiings, as aluminum will fatigue so easy, but applying ice to the 
endplate to shrink it might work. tapping with a light hammer, soaking in 
kerosene and three and one oil, etc. etc. are all tricks.  Once you get it 
out, I would replace the bolt that holds the mainsheet in place, and then 
refasten the end plate with machine screws, which you drill and tap threads 
in for.  
If when you take the whole thing apart, the end of the boom looks weakened by 
oxidation, you might consider shortening the boom, ie. cutting it back to 
strong aluminum that 1/4 inch or so that is necessary, or replacing the end 
plate with a a fitting with a longer sleeve that will slip in farther to 
catch strong boom material, or, replace the boom.  I would check where the 
gooseneck attaches, to  make sure it wasn't jarred and damaged at the same 
time as well.
May sound like overkill- I can't see what you see of course, and the boom's 
strength is 'kind of' important. :)
hope this helps,
Lee

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