Mast hardware

[smilingbobby]

I have a 1978 Cal-29. About 3/4 of the way up the mast, just past the spreaders, there is a welded thick eyelet. I don't know if it's called a eyelet. It porotruds out and looks as if you would attache something to it, but I don't know what. I am a newbe. Thanks for your help

[SailingwithSoul]

It's possible the last owner was trying to rig lazy jacks. Not every loop or attachment point on a mast/boat is there to serve a critical purpose. some may have been added to support an accessory or personal item. Use it in whatever way your want. Maybe run a small hoist line through it (for a pirate flag).

Happy Sailing!!!

[david samuelson]

Hi Newbe, welcome to the sailing world.
A picture really would help - someone might know what you have up there.

[Jim Cate]

Sounds like a tang for an inner forestay

Cheers,

Jim

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by smilingbobby

I have a 1978 Cal-29. About 3/4 of the way up the mast, just past the spreaders, there is a welded thick eyelet. I don't know if it's called a eyelet. It porotruds out and looks as if you would attache something to it, but I don't know what. I am a newbe. Thanks for your help

Is it one eyelet? Does it protrude to the front?

As someone else said it could be a place to rig a second "inner" forestay. This would be used to attach a storm jib. If it is for this purpose there would be a matching attachment on the foredeck somewhere.

The only other idea I have is someone rigged it to hang the spinnaker pole on the mast or to rig a spinnaker pole lift. Is there a ring at the base of the mast?

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by smilingbobby

I have a 1978 Cal-29. About 3/4 of the way up the mast, just past the spreaders, there is a welded thick eyelet. I don't know if it's called a eyelet. It porotruds out and looks as if you would attache something to it, but I don't know what. I am a newbe. Thanks for your help

We owned a Cal 2-29 for quite some while. I believe the fitting you are describing is the anchor point for the spinnaker pole topping lift. Add a swivel block and 3/8" lift-line and you're good to go.

FWIW..

[smilingbobby]

Thank you. The attaching point is towards the bow. I think it would be for a spinnaker pole topping lift. Someone mentioned a storm jib. At the forward most part of the bow there are two points where you can make a attachment for something. One of them is where I have the roller furler attached. I did not know why there were two attachment points there. Why would I possibly need a inner forestay?
On another note I took her out for the first time last week. Once employed the jib, I thought I was going to get a speeding ticket. She took off, like a rocket!

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by smilingbobby

Thank you. The attaching point is towards the bow. I think it would be for a spinnaker pole topping lift

Correct.

Originally Posted by smilingbobby

.....
On another note I took her out for the first time last week. Once employed the jib, I thought I was going to get a speeding ticket. She took off, like a rocket!

The yachts are very fast and very good sea boats. On one race in about 12 knots of wind we (literally) sailed a circle around a friend's Sabre 34 (with a whale tail keel) to prove that we could (oh boy was he unhappy about that!) On another race, the same Sabre was covering us relentlessly to port. When he pushed us past the starboard lay-line into very thin water (for us), where we might have grounded, we eased sheets gybed to starboard and continued around in a 270º behind his stern and came up on the layline on starboard and were 50 yards beyond him when he finally finished his own tack to port. You'll be very happy with the yacht provided you learn to sail her (relatively) flat.

FWIW...