[Public-List] Goose Neck / Main Sail Track Fastening (Kirk Little)

[Kirk Little]

I agree the Goose Neck track is a much weaker link, and based upon my own experience, another wink point on the main sail track would be the joint half way up the mast assuming your track is joined from two pieces as is mine.  

Here is what I did on Salsa:  For the Goose neck track; through bolt the top and the bottom in the existing holes. (yeah you will have to put two more 1/4" holes in your mast but you'll be making the weakest point here strong).  You may not find a bolt long enough so I got 1/4" 20 threaded stock, cut it to fit, and had a nut welded to the foward sides but maybe you could get away just two lock-nuts.  It was installed with a stainless washer on each side for strength plus matching plastic washers to isolate the stainless from the aluminum.  I cant think of many downsides with this method nor a stronger practical way.  

Regarding the mainsail track, the aluminum rivets seemed to serve well for decades on most all boats but even after replacing a few of mine I had mast track issues at the joint in the track halfway up the mast.  Seems there is an inch or so between last rivet and the joint and if you by chance have a main sail car positioned there (as did I) it can pull the track loose partially, this left me with a stuck main sail mid-ocean and still it wasn't too dramatic since luckily I was raising the sail rather than reefing!  Anyway, my quick offshore fix was to hammer the track back, tap and srew small bolts right at the joint and that has held for a few thousand miles. The screw head did not seat well in the track, but it didn't hang up the sail cars or flange the track out so even done out of desperation I think it is a lasting solution albeit not elegant.  Just my two cents. 

 Kirk Little, Salsa (504) Currently in Port Vila, Vanuatu.   
 		 	   		  
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