Added 03/10/2004
Date: Mon Jul 2, 2001 1:02 pm
Subject: Re: main sail rigging on 26' mkII (cutaway issues)
--
I wish it was as simple as attaching two stainless plates to achieve
contenuity of the mast slide groove.
I just went through this and I can assure you that it is a complex
procedure. What you have going is a wide spot in the road, so to
speak. What you want to do is fill in that gap to that the slugs
slide smoothly through that area. If you simply attach plates on the
surface, covering the wide area, each and every slug will get caught
at the wide space, because there is uneveness in the thickness of the
mast slide compared to the plates.
Here is what I did. I first made cardboard templets of the wide
area, one for each side, with the exact shape and thickness. I then
made templets that would overlap the wide area, one for each side. I
then glued the filler templets to the top templets, one for each
side. I then gave these templets to my metal guy and he milled my
new filler plates out of aluminum. Then began a very time consuming
process of filing, grinding and careful fitting of those plates. I
had my good buddy Lance taper the backsides and taper the top piece,
top and bottom on the outside ends, before the slugs would glide
through that area. We even considered a different style slug, but
were able to get the system to work smoothly. It was difficult and
is one of a kind. I wouldn't be without them, as it was near to
impossible to reef the main.
I considered providing a templet for others to use, but after going
through what I went through, it became clear that each mast is going
to be slightly different and there would be no way to produce plates
that would work for everyone. You will need to make your own.
Lance did his own on his 26MK2 and made them out of fiberglass and
carbon fiber... truly unique.. said they were a bitch to make.
Columbia must have made filler plates for the 26MK2, otherwise how
would folks have been able to properly reef their mains? I inquired
of this group some time ago when I knew I would have to do something
about this. It finally came down to custom work. Sometimes we have
to do that with our old babies.
Best of luck.
Regards,
Dennis Lancaster 26MK2 "Legacy"
Bellingham, Wash