Mast and Boom question????

[beetlejuice30]

hey there quick question
I have a aluminum mast.
I wont to install a soft boom vang and a few other things to my boom and mast.

I know i cant use stainless steal screws or else it will corrode and fail.
So what do i use do i tap and tread and use some other kind of screws
or do i drill and use rivets- i think rivets are mainly aluminum there for they wouldn't corrode i think
or is there another way?
any input in appreciated thanks

[Ziggy]

Don't use aluminum rivets--they are not strong enough. Stainless screws or rivets will work, but you need to apply corrosion protection, like tef-gel (tef-gel.com). Loctite will also work. The best way to install a boom vang fitting is to fit it into an extruded track on the mast or boom. Appropriate sized rivets must be installed with a profesional size rivet gun like Marson "Big Daddy" (available from Defender or Hamilton Marine).