Drilling into mast 32-3

[Elrod]

I need to drill and tap some bolts into my mast to install cheek blocks for lazy jacks. I will be drilling into the mast about 6 feet above the lower spreaders on each side of the mast. Question:is there any wiring conduit inside the mast that I nee to avoid or are all the wires and halyards all just hangin loose? I can be careful not to drill much pas the material of the mast, but still worried. Thanks, Elrod

P.S. laid out the lazy jacks on my driveway to check best layout. Seemed like 6ft above lower spreader was about right for blocks. Anyone have thoughts on that?

 

[Christian Williams]

You might consider mounting on the spreaders, it widens the capture. Also, consider the sail cover issue: slots, or not?

Of course a "stack pack" includes lazyjacks, which kills two birds with one stone. (Also kills aesthetics, but I didn't actually say that out loud)

Lazyjack Rigging Design [Master Thread]

I would like to ask about light spectra lazy jacks, specifically the plan of the lines, the current system onboard Merrimist is very tired and does not work so well, renewal or replacing and these kind of easy to do upgrades I like to do myself, can anyone forward a plan of or pics as I have...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[Loren Beach]

More information will get a more informed answer (or two). Boat model and year, and please put this info into your Sig Line. s
For instance, our '88 Kenyon spar has the line of pop rivet heads up the side to show where the PVC tube for the wiring was installed.

 

[Elrod]

1985 Ericson 32-3. Double spreader rig. When I did the mock-up, the lower spreaders seemed too low and the uppers too high. 6 feet above lower spreaders seemed Goldilock’s location. Will be using existing sail cover over “collapsed” jacks. Thanks. Original question remains: anything in there to avoid?

 

[peaman]

I believe that my Kenyon mast has a wiring channel built into the aft part of the extrusion, just forward of the luff track. It would be nice if someone could find a drawing of the mast extrusion.

With a cheek block on the mast, you should try to minimize chafing of the line on the spreader. As to best location of the block, I have attached a picture of my 1987 32-3 with a different lazy jack rig, but it might be useful. In my rig, a section of spectra is affixed above the upper spreaders. That unadjustable line ends with a bullseye low friction ring which supports the working parts of the lazy jacks. I have a single line which is anchored on the port side of the boom, runs up through the port bullseye, down and under the boom aft, them back up to the starboard bullseye and then down to a cheek block on the boom and forward to a cleat. I'm concerned that with your proposed cheek block location, the aft-most jack will be too flat or horizontal to be very effective. But then, that might work better than mine for clearing the full battens when raising the sail.

 

[Elrod]

Thanks all for your responses. Peaman, your photo and explanation were especially helpful……enough so that I re-set up my driveway mock up and will plan to install cheek blocks just below the uppers. It is interesting that once the blocks get that high, a few extra feet make very little difference in the angle of the aft-most jack lines, and I prefer to not go above the uppers as that is just one more chafe point. Christian, mounting the blocks on the spreaders is not a bad idea and I can see the merits, but I have the cheek blocks on hand and install is tomorrow morning so no time to shop for more hardware this year. Gonna drill real careful-like and hope for the best. Mounting on spreaders would have avoided that concern, oh well, into the unknown. Thanks, Elrod

 

[Christian Williams]

Drill or tap? I do think screws are OK For that, not all that much force on such a block. For fittings that sit awkwardly on the curve of the mast section, I make concave mounts.

The thread above is good on the geometry of the lines, which varies with boats and battens, and any experimentation you can do will help perfect that. The best outer lazyjack attachment to the boom is the point where the sail no longer falls off when lowered, but also allows hoisting without catching on the battens. (Although many installations still require accurately heading into the wind when hoisting, especially with full-length battens.)

 

[Dave G.]

Will be using existing sail cover over “collapsed” jacks.

Yes ! I got very tired of the batten battle so last year I ditched the stack pack(ahh much better) and revised the lazy jacks so they collapse to the mast. I just really wish I would have done it much sooner. I'm guessing your doing this with the rig up ? See if you can find a stopper for the drill size your using and it will the risk out of sliding deep and hitting a halyard especially if your doing it aloft. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[Nick J]

I believe that my Kenyon mast has a wiring channel built into the aft part of the extrusion, just forward of the luff track. It would be nice if someone could find a drawing of the mast extrusion.

According to RigRite, this is the mast section on Ericson 32's:

Kenyon 4365 CR Mast Section

@bgary has a really good blog about refurbishing a mast and installing new wires. It has some great pictures on the wiring channel:

E32-3 - Time is Fluid (mast re-hab, part 2 of 3)

Next phase of the project was to replace lights and wiring. Most of that wasn’t very dramatic, thanks to the design of the Kenyon spar that Ericson used in this era. It is a beautiful design – there’s an aluminum sail-track that slots into the...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[Elrod]

Thanks All, drilled and tapped holes for the cheek blocks about 6 inches below upper spreaders and slightly aft of mast centerline. Nick, thanks for the rig-rite link, comforting to see the wiring channel out of my way. After drilling barely through the side, I poked around with a toothpick and “finding” nothing, tapped the holes. Mast is up now, boat floats, and the fun of finding the best locations for the boom attachments begins. Gonna tape the stirrups and see where the conflicts are. Onward and thanks! Elrod