Goose neck

[DeborahLee]

I am starting to have a problem with the bolts holding the goose neck to the mast. There is only 1 thread on the bolts to the mast and due to stress and corrosion and they are starting to pull out. I have reached the max on bolt size and am looking at using compression nuts and was wondering if anyone else has used them or have another idea.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by DeborahLee

I am starting to have a problem with the bolts holding the goose neck to the mast. There is only 1 thread on the bolts to the mast and due to stress and corrosion and they are starting to pull out. I have reached the max on bolt size and am looking at using compression nuts and was wondering if anyone else has used them or have another idea.

Consider the alternative of making up a face plate that is inserted between the base of the goose-neck fitting and the mast and is slightly taller/wider than the base of the goose-neck fitting. The goose-neck fitting is bolted to the face plate and the face plate is, in turn, bolted to the mast above and below the current bolt holes. If the mast is curved at the point of the connection, make up two taller, narrow plates rather than a single wider plate, that each fit under the bolt holes on either side of the fitting. Remember that booms are in compression and only need bearing area at the mast and some firm cross-section of the retaining bolts into the mast to transfer shear (vertical) loads into the mast.

FWIW...

[Ex-Calif]

The blind nuts will have a shoulder on the outside such that the plate will stand off from the mast - this may be tolerable but will allow water behind the plate where you can't see it. I never like that.

Countersunk blind nuts are an option but you would need a thick enough mast section to use them. There may be some specialty ones with very wide flares. However thisis all complex.

A common fix is as HyLyte says although rather than bolting the plate to the mast I would rivet it. Fabricate a plate that is blind riveted on and the gooseneck plate attaches to that.

The advantage is you can use a suitable number of blind rivets, properly bed the plate and have a repair that lasts a log time.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by DeborahLee

I am starting to have a problem with the bolts holding the goose neck to the mast. There is only 1 thread on the bolts to the mast and due to stress and corrosion and they are starting to pull out. I have reached the max on bolt size and am looking at using compression nuts and was wondering if anyone else has used them or have another idea.

What size is the present bolt?
And, what is the thickness of the mast?

[david samuelson]

Whatever you do, make sure it is at least twice as strong as you think it ought to be. When you gybe accidentally the forces are horrendous and chaotic.