by tomodda » Thu Sep 07, 2023 9:58 pm
Bob:
THe higher the better, but it's not that 6 inches is going to make a HUGE difference. You sure that the mast and sail are both the right dimensions? Look at the By-laws (Measurement section, book 3) and run a tape measure up your slot and sail luff. What do you mean that the boom goes "above the track slot"? The slot on my mast (what's left of the mast) goes from head to foot, with a slight widening to get the sail up into the slot. Do you mean that if you hoist the main to the very tp, the boom winds up in the wider portion of the slot?
About the forestay, fitting a quick-release lever means that you'll have to redimension the stay, no? Unless you already have a shroud adjuster (turnbuckle) up there, then you can swap out then adjuster with the quick-release pretty easily. Otherwise, have you tried a split ring instead of cotter pin? I hate cotter pins for anything that I'm not going to open more than once a season (and then I tape over it). A small keychain ring, for instance, no reason to get fancy.
In the meantime, a suggestion - try using the fore halyard to raise the mast. This is assuming you have a tabernacle, as most people, and your boat is still on the trailer. Clip the forestay to a sidestay temporarily, then attach your fore halyard to the stemhead - just don't attach it to the same hole as where you plan to put the forestay.. most stemheads have more than one hole. Push the mast up by whatever means necessary. I usually pull it up onto my shoulder then walk it into place. Once the mast is up, pull DOWN on the halyard (and yes, you can also use the halyard to help you raise it). Get as much tension on the halyard as you can and tie it off (tie, not just cleat!). Your mast should be perfectly secure. Unclip the forestay from the sidestay and take it around forward. Now you have both hands and all the time in the world to mess with clevis pins, cotter pins, split rings, etc. Way less hassle. Pro tip, if you need a bit more tension on the fore halyard to get the tip of the mast that last inch forward, push the halyard with your elbow, bowing it. That's usually enough to get the last little bit of slack for attaching the forestay to the stemhead. Once attached, you can slack off the fore halyard and go about the rest of your rigging. Hope this helps!