Mast Hardware Identification and Purpose

[elibobeli]

Eclipse Owners,

Just below the mast hinge are SS brackets in the shape of a "7" on each side of the mast with the aft portion of the "7" slightly back from the back of the mast.  They are in alignment with each other on each side of the mast.  Nothing is hooked to them and they don't move.  They were factory installed, standard equipment.  While studying the hinge area, it occurred to me that I haven't a clue what these brackets are for.  Can anyone help?

[Craig Weis]

I'd like to help here but I have no knowledge as to the purpose of these '7' shaped brackets. skip.

[Glenn Basore]

I have an Eclipse (2006) but I don't recognize what you are describing.

There are two pivot pins that should be in place to raise the mast. they have a pivot arm and spring so that when you push them through the pivot hole they turn 90 degrees to lock them in place. that would give you a 7 appearance I guess.

These two pins are removeable and are a critical part of raising / lowering the mast as they hold the mast in place to pivot. without them the mast would fall !

Could this be what you are trying to describe ?

Glenn B.

[elibobeli]

Maybe they added them to the mast on the later Eclipse.  They are below the hinge pins you are describing, Glenn, and have nothing to do with rigging the boat unless it has a passive purpose.  From top screw to bottom screw holding the brackets to the mast is about 3".  They maybe extend aft about 1.5".  I know picture is worth a thousand words, but thought I would go with the description first.

And Skip, your Eclipse has them? 

[Glenn Basore]

When I got home I looked at my Eclipse, yes I do have the 7 brackets on the mast just below the hing point.

They are used for reefing, when you lower the main to the reefing points in the sail, you have a hook at the front of the sail that hooks to the 7 bracket, now tighten the main back up snug.

The hook just adds a securing point when connected to the "7" bracket.

Glenn B.

[elibobeli]

So you got me thinking Glenn; I visited my boat to take a look at the relationship between the boom and the brackets.  My dealer who was thorough in explaining reefing never mentioned these brackets.  I have reefing hooks on the lower, front portion of the boom on each side.  The opening of these hooks face down and in no way could they hook to the "7" brackets attached to the mast.  The reefing hooks hook through the feef cringle on the front of the sail.

When the main sail is fully hoisted, the bottom of the boom is 6" above the hinge.  And even with the downhaul fully down the bottom of the boom is still above the hinge.  With that and the 7 brackets below the hinge, I don't see how these brackets are used for reefing.  Could you explain how they are used on yours?

My dealer did say that Compac finally raised the mast.  I don't know what that meant, but perhaps our rigs are slightly different.  I do know that raising the mainsail so that the sail lugs have to ride through the hinge is not easy.  Part of rigging my boat is to raise the furled mainsail and boom above the hinge and support it with the 4" safety pin.  That way when I am ready to hoist, it is smooth going.  No binding in the hinge area.  Part of derigging is pulling the pin and putting the boom and sail below the hinge; reinserting the safety pin above the top of the sail.  I was warned that booms and sails are being damaged when the mast is lowered and all that is still above the hinge.

Thanks for carrying on with this discussion.

[elibobeli]

Perhaps Gradycampbell has already identified this hardware.  I was looking at his picture in thread titled "mod to avoid jibsheet/mastendr tangle".  He used the screws holding the top side of these 7 shaped brackets to attach his mod around the front of the mast.  He called them "sail guides".  If so they are not significant to me for reasons about how I rig in previous post, since they end up below the sail when hoisting.  I suppose they would keep the sail from tangling on the hinge area if hoisting the sail from below the hinge.  Glenn, does this make since to you?

Question answered?

[Glenn Basore]

I sent an email to Gerry (Com Pac) and here is his reply.

Those brackets are sail guides.  If they were not there the sail would catch on the hinge every time you raise the sail.



Gerry


Glenn B.

[elibobeli]

And so it is confirmed, and now I know.  Thanks Glenn and Gerry.

Allan