[Public-List] Goose Neck Track

[Gordon Laco]

Hello friends -

I have been in BC on business and am just catching up on the topic.

I would suggest that a bolt going through the mast is problematic in  
that if the holes are not threaded (or even if they are) one would be  
stressing the soft aluminium extrusion when you tighten the bolt.   If  
the track is secured by machine screws threaded into the wall of the  
extrusion adjacent to the track... well there is no stronger way to  
fix it.

If one were bent (pun intended) on bolting through to the front face  
of the mast, the only way you could achieve a fix as secure as short  
machine screws tapped in would be if there were a nut cranked hard  
against the inner surface of the after face of the extrusion...and  
another cranked hard against the inner surface of the forward face.    
I am assuming a third nut outside the mast on the forward face.   
Alternatively  one could I suppose fit a compression tube in the mast  
to protect it from the compression but that would be as awkward as the  
nuts and still only approximating the strength of short machine screws  
tapped in.

Remember that the loading on the goose neck track is all in shear...  
the only part of what ever fastener is used that is 'working' is the  
part that exits the after surface of the mast.  How much bolt extends  
through the inner void and penetrates the forward face has nothing to  
do with how secure the bolt is holding the track to the mast.

Hope that helps - please write if I am not making sense.

Oh the issue of track slides catching at track unions.... so long as  
the track sections are somewhat lined up with each other, that issue  
can be solved by carefully rounding off the corners of the ends of the  
tracks at the joint.   Do that (only a little is required) with a fine  
file then polish with fine emory paper, and the sticking problem will  
go away even if you have six joints rather than the three that is  
usual (the track comes in ten foot lengths)

There should be a fastener right at the end of the upper and lower  
sections at each joint... if there is not, popping in a  rivet on each  
side of the joint right at the end of the track sections is a good idea.

Cheers  - Gord #426 SURPRISE




On 28-Oct-09, at 10:23 PM, Michael Taylor wrote:

> Thanks Kirk.  I think a bolt through the mast to secure the track is  
> a good solution.  I will have a look at this when I come to re- 
> install.  My mast sail track is in 3 sections which is even worse  
> than your setup.  Occasionally the sail does get stuck and it can be  
> something of a wrestle to get down - but with nothing like the  
> consequences of it happening mid-ocean!   I will certainly pay close  
> attention when I come to rivet the track back on.
>
> cheers
>
> Mick
> #231
>
>
>
>
>       
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