The search continues

[K.C. Walker]

The plug looks to be plastic. There is a bronze threaded insert in the hull that it is screwed into. I don't know if my plug is original but it is brass. I do find it handy to drain the boat, but you could always bail and sponge. You could drill it and use an easy out.

[curifin]

I had the same plug. If it is not leaking I would leave it, do you have the rear transom drain?

[xraydude]

I had the same plug. If it is not leaking I would leave it, do you have the rear transom drain?

I was tempted to leave it alone but decided to drill it out. I tried an easy out but the nylon plug just couldn't handle the torque. So I just increased the size of the bit and removed enough material to be able to flex the plug away from the threads. I do have the transom plug but it's positioned starboard of the keel.

The next project I'm tackling is figuring out how to properly step the mast. if I drop a plumb bob down the center of the mast opening of the cuddy, it misses the stainless step that's mounted on the keelson (red oval in pic denotes placement of mast foot). This is an old proctor mast, don't know what to do other than possibly make some sort of extension out of PT 2X6 secure it to the stainless step at one end and router a hole to accommodate the mast foot.

[GreenLake]

I'm not sure what the exercise with the plumb line is supposed to indicate. First you would have to establish that the boat is level. Was the boat on the trailer, or in the water? What counts is the attitude the boat takes on in the water. Next, the mast is not supposed to be vertical, but raked aft a bit (relative to the water surface when the boat is in the water). So, the usual test would be to step the mast first, then hang a weight from the main halyard and see what angle that assumes to the mast.

[xraydude]

G.L.
The boat is on a trailer and I adjusted the trailer to make sure the keelson was level. I was planning on stepping the mast tomorrow, I will hang a weight from the halyard and see what I get for an angle.

Thank you!

[GreenLake]

I don't know for the DS, but the level that counts should be the waterline, which is not necessarily parallel to the keelson.
The mast is supposed to be raked aft a bit, that would account for the mast step being forward of the vertical.

Let us know what you measure with the halyard (with the waterline at a level position).

[xraydude]

Sorry for the delayed response G.L. the halyard is about 2.5" - 3" behind the mast at the top of the cuddy.

I have a question regarding my Proctor boom, does it rely on the sail to hold it on to the gooseneck? Do I need to rig something to keep it attached to the gooseneck? My gooseneck just slips on and off the boom.

[GreenLake]

Sorry for the delayed response G.L. the halyard is about 2.5" - 3" behind the mast at the top of the cuddy.

From memory, in other words, I remember reading that somewhere, that sounds about right. Let's see whether anybody else can chime in with a more authoritative statement on mast rake.

[GreenLake]

I have a question regarding my Proctor boom, does it rely on the sail to hold it on to the gooseneck? Do I need to rig something to keep it attached to the gooseneck? My gooseneck just slips on and off the boom.

The gooseneck has a square part and a round part of the "pin". That would be normal for the old "roll the sail around the boom" reefing setup. In that case, I would have expected a spring to hold the fitting so that the square end of the pin engages.

I just checked mine, and the gooseneck does not come out. One way to perhaps secure it, would be to drill a hole through the end of the boom (and casting) tap it, and put a screw in that just pushes against the square part of the pin, holding it in place. Doing that would only involve drilling through aluminum, so should be relatively easy. Just make sure you use TefGel or something like it before inserting the SS screw, otherwise you'll get galvanic corrosion. (And it wouldn't hurt to wax or coat the SS pin of the gooseneck with something like Lanocote for the same reason).

That's the best I can think of on short notice.

[K.C. Walker]

I think that gooseneck connection is original. I think they called it the spigot and toggle. Selden makes an updated version that actually snaps in place but looks similar. Because all the forces while sailing are compression on the boom, the only time you need to worry about that connection falling apart is when you are rigging or tearing down. It's a feature!

A good place to get ideas for setting up your standing rigging is to use the North Sails tuning guide for the Daysailer http://www.onedesign.com/Portals/106/do ... gguide.pdf . Using a plumb line is not accurate enough, what you should use is a long tape measure that you send up your mast with the main halyard. Of course, you don't need to follow everything in the guide (as it is for racing) but there is a lot of useful information. Also, there are other good sail manufacturers tuning guides, such as Doyle.

[xraydude]

I would like to thank everyone who have helped me out the past few months regarding my project Daysailer. Things have come together well and we are enjoying every minute of being on the water.

[rnlivingston]

Those old drain plugs have a nasty habit of "welding" themselves in. I would leave it alone and install a new drain on the stern.

[xraydude]

Thanks Roger, I did speak to Rudy at D&R, and he told me that O'Day molded in a brass plate and drilled and tapped to accommodate for a 1/4" plug. I did replace the plastic plug with a brass plug which I remove at the ramp before driving home so seizing won't be an issue.

[rnlivingston]

By the way...I purchased a Proctor gold mast and boom like yours from a person down the cape. They were in very bad shape so I redid them modifying the mast quite a bit. I installed the main and jib halyard internally rather than in the mast track, installed a different mast base and painted them. Worked out well.

[xraydude]

I had Rudy @ D&R Marine make up a main and jib halyard for me in the original configuration of wire and rope. After installing I noticed that I have to give an extra tug when the two spliced ends pass one another in the Main track. BTW, Annapolis Performance Sailing has parts for the proctor mast, just picked up a new halyard exit sheave box at the tune of $70.00, ouch.