After several months of effort, expense and frustration, I now have placed my Eclipse at its new home in Vero Beach, Florida. It took a nationwide search and two lost deals to miraculously find an Eclipse two mere miles from my home. It is a bit of a fixer-upper but you all know what a solid boat it is and that--in my opinion--worth investing in. The next mini-miracle is the custom lift addition you see in the photos that I was able to purchase from the former owner of the boat and install at my dock. Sometimes we get lucky!!! Next up in my little adventure is putting the rig together and raising the mast.
Bewildered,
I stumbled across your post. I recognized my former boat by the plastic cleats on the bowsprit, the radio cable running up inside the mast, and the plastic piece I put on the front of the mast to prevent the jib/genoa (I forget which) from catching on the Mastendr part protruding from the front of the mast (getting caught there during a tack is a common Eclipse problem). I bought the boat in 2006, trailersailed her out of Fort Lauderdale for a few years, moored her in Biscayne Bay at Dinner Key Marina mooring field for many years (it was a bargain at first but then became less so). In Summer of 2023 I sold her to a couple in Vero Beach on account of my moving inland to North Florida. It saddened me greatly to see the pictures you posted because she was in much better condition than that when I sold it.
It is no doubt too late to answer many of your questions but just in case here we go. I bought the jib/genoa from Doyle Sails in Miami done by Eamonn Delisser who is a great guy. The old one had gotten to be in sad shape and needed to be replaced to sell the boat. The main was in decent shape at the time so it is older. Not surprising that it needs to be new.
The traveler was running right when I sold. Okay, it was running left as well... One end ties to a stainless loop welded to the arch, then runs to the traveler, then through a block (?) down the arch to the clutch. I think others answered this, probably better.
Inspired by the salesman when I bought who went with me on the shakedown sail, I always pushed the mast up by hand. I could do it solo and did it on water as well as on trailer. It was at the limit of my strength though. The salesman showed me to use the Mastendr system so all of that equipment was on the boat when I let it go. Too bad the Com-Pac website is gone, I remember a video there.
I hope you enjoy the boat. I have many great memories. I will post a picture of her when she was mine. Nowadays I just kayak the many lakes in our new area, so I am still on the water.
Grady
Vero Beach is only a few hours from the Keys. Think about joining us for a day or more next month as we sail around.