Thanks for all the input. It's good to be part of an active forum. I believe I will cough up the dough for the spreaders from D&R although the stainless tubing idea seems worth pursuing if I ever trash the aluminum replacements.
I am sure to be posting more questions on various parts of the forum. The DS1 should indeed be a fun boat that I expect will satisfy my sailing addiction and provide a fine teaching platform for my grandson.