[Public-List] Strong Track overhang

[David Tessier]

John,

 

I installed my fixed gooseneck bracket on my mast on the weekend with the mast off our Alberg 30.

In order to ensure the bracket's correct placement, I stretched out our mainsail, "hoisting" it horizontally along the Strong Track and had a close look at the "overhang" of the Strong Track vs the flat aft surface of the mast.  I see what your rigger is thinking.  

 

Aside from the (encouraging) absence of reports of problems in practice, it looks to me like the overhang would only come into play under high mainsail load from the side, e.g., running with the boom sheeted out at its furthest, producing a component of side strain on the sail slides and hence on the Strong Track.  And even here, problems might only occur if the underlying steel track were to come loose, and twist to lee.  In this case a wider flat aft face of on a mast would offer some support, but the loose steel track would be the primary concern and need to be corrected.  From my product literature, it looks like the Strong Track can be slid off the steel track fairly easily, though a seriously distorted steel track might make this difficult.

 

Have there been cases of the riveted steel track coming loose?  I have been thinking that it would be an interesting challenge to through bolt an external sail track like the A30's to a mast, from tack to head.  This is how I just attached my fixed gooseneck bracket, using two slender custom backing plates with Nylok nuts welded thereto, made by the folks at Garhauer.  I can supply photos of our new gooseneck bracket for the website if there is any interest.

 

Cheers.

 

DFT

 
> > Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:44:38 -0400 (EDT)
> From: "John R. Willis" <gusano at radix.net>
> Subject: [Public-List] Strong Track Overhang
> To: public-list at lists.alberg30.org
> Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.64.0906141241390.23284 at saltmine.radix.net>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> 
> 
> Thanks for all the feedback. My best friend is disabled and has 
> difficulty raising the main by himself when we go out. I had thought 
> Strong Track might allow him to more easily deal with things - based on 
> the responses, it sounds like it might be worth trying.
> 
> I assume my mast is similar to most - there is a 3/4 inch wide flat 
> surface on the aft side, with a 7/8 inch track attached. The rigger was 
> concerned the Strong Track would extend too far beyond the edge of the 
> flat mounting surface and therefore wouldn't be completely supported.
> 
> Not sure if this is much of a concern - has anyone experienced any issues 
> related to the Strong Track being wider than the mounting surface?
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> --John Willis
> Jubilant, #435
> 
> 
> 
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