Proctor Beta Minus Mast

[hsumralljr]

Does anyone have experience converting a Proctor Beta Minus mast from using the original stainless steel flared tube which is the shroud and forestay attachment point to using T-Terminals? I'm guessing that I would need to:

1. Remove the tube in some sort of fashion without damaging the mast.
2. Snip the stays so they will fit back thru the slots in the mast they pass thru.
3. Enlarge the slots the stays pass thru in the mast and install the T-Terminal backing plates.
4. have aluminum patches welded over the opening on each side of the mast where the stainless flared tube passed thru.

Does this sound reasonable?

[GreenLake]

I have never seen the setup that you show in your picture, which means I can't pretend to understand your motivation in making a change.

However, I also have never personally seen a DS with T terminals. And from your description they seem to require massive structural interference with the mast.

The usual setup on the DS is to simply rivet an angled SS tang to the outside of the mast and to connect the stay with a toggle. You will find this item on the following site: http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DR202.

You can see the fitting that will connect to that tang on the left in the picture of a stay on this page: http://www.drmarine.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DS802A.

[hsumralljr]

My motivation for making the change is that the stays are held captive inside the mast by the flared stainless tube, i.e. each stay has a swaged loop inside the mast, and the stainless tube passes through each loop. The stays are original to the mast which makes them @ 40 years old, and most likely need to be replaced.

[GreenLake]

To recapitulate: you want to upgrade/replace the stays after 40 year and cannot replicate the original setup.

I concur that replacing the stays (and upgrading them to 1/8") looks like something that's indicated after 40 years.

Now, the question is, what's the best alternative given that you can't replicate the original setup. I would like to understand why you can't rivet a set of tangs to the outside of the mast like in most DS? If there's no particular reason why that is not possible, then it would be the simplest solution - you could even leave the stainless tube harmlessly in place, most likely.

The rivets used on other DS boats for this are aluminum, but with a captive (aluminum) mandrel, so the rivet is sealed and just a bit stronger than a hollow one.

The effort you describe for T-terminals sounds much more involved, so I would normally not contemplate it, unless there was no other alternative, or other, strong overriding reasons.

[hsumralljr]

My thinking on the t-terminals is that since they use a backing plate as part of the installation the result is a stronger connection over regular tangs. Also, they seem to be the preferred method for shroud attachment for Selden masts. As far as removing the old shrouds, if I could do it without disturbing the tube I'm all for it. Maybe using a hacksaw blade or similar inserted thru the spinnaker sheave opening (after removing the sheave box of course) to cut the stay loops. I'd prefer not to have loose bits of the stays inside the mast in case they would interfere with the internal halyards.

[GreenLake]

I'm not a rigger, so I can't tell you whether this makes sense as an aftermarket installation. From your description it sounds like you would be weakening the mast first, and then, potentially, when the backing plate is added, perhaps strengthening it again. The person you need to seek advice on is the one that can do the kind of welding that you are contemplating.

Adding a riveted tang may be something that you could do yourself. Might be a question of getting the right rivets, but not anything more involved.

As for the captive shrouds, that's a matter of what degree of perfection you are after. You could leave a short length where they exit the mast and glue/seal those ends in place, so there are not loose.

[hsumralljr]

I haven't measured yet, but I'd imagine the exit point for the stays is the location where tangs, or t-terminal sockets would be installed.