Rivet advice please

[Sailor Chlud]

So, last week's adventure with the DS1 resulted in a near knock down while hove to. We got hit with a mighty gust that did some damage: the starboard stay broke a couple of strands, and the eye strap fastening the jib block to the mast pulled out. Apparently, the rivet heads both gave way, and the eye strap shot off the boat, releasing the block and dropping the jib. Scared the bejebus out of my wife and kids, and was quite a bummer trying to sail dead upwind to the ramp.

I bought a new set of three stays from D&R (that came in the next afternoon!) but I need advice on riveting the new jib block eye strap to the mast.

It looks like the Kenyon mast has aluminum rivets with jumbo heads - well-rounded, and about 3/8" diameter. The holes in the mast were 3/16ths. I am unable to find rivets locally (or a rivet gun, for that matter) that will be comparable in size. The rivets I find on the Dwyer mast site in stainless steel seem to have smaller diameter heads. Can somebody give me a good source for comparable strength rivets? and a strong enough gun to use on the stainless rivets?

Thanks for the help!

[K.C. Walker]

It sounds like you got hit pretty hard. I'm glad you made it back with out too much damage. Likely your stays were due for replacement anyway. I've used the rivets from Dwyer with no problems. If you have a West Marine near you they will have the stainless rivets, also. Because they are stainless steal, I do coat them with Lanocote to prevent corrosion from dissimilar metals. I called Dwyer and asked about this and they said that they normally do not coat them but said it would be okay. I bought a long handled Asturo riveter off Amazon and it worked fine.

[ChrisB]

+1 on the SST rivets from West Marine. Prior to the FL 120 trip this year, I drilled out all the rivets on the mast tangs for my standing rigging and replaced with new SST pop rivets purchased from West Marine. I have an Arrow rivet tool (Home Depot or Lowes) and it came with several nose pieces for use with different size rivets. Since you have already had one rivet failure, I'd recommend replacing all the rivets on the mast tangs. Its cheap insurance because if one of those rivets fails the big aluminum thing comes tumbling down.

[Sailor Chlud]

Thanks for the advice, guys. West Marine is about a 1/2 hour to 40-minute drive for me, but I'll have to swing by there and get some rivets. However, Rudy at D&R recommended I use #10x 3/4" panhead stainless screws instead in newly drilled holes (in case there was corrosion inside the previous holes). I may try that approach instead. Thanks for all your help, and the suggestion about replacing the shroud tang rivets is a good one, too.

[GreenLake]

If you screw stainless into aluminum, use TefGel to insulate against corrosion and to make sure the screws don't seize. A tiny 1oz tube goes a loooong way with that stuff.

[Sailor Chlud]

Have a great weekend!

[PassingWind]

Stay away from west marine the jack up the prices on the rivets. Y like 3 or 400%

find a fastenal and go there. You can get them for like 30 cents each.

[PassingWind]

Also harbor freight has a long handled heavy duty rivet gun for like 20. Found it after i paid 65 for mine