Posted by Rees Midgley (rmidgley@…>)
Sward,Re. your query on putting folding steps to assist in reaching the sail cover and halyard block on the sail, I am attaching a photo showing three such steps put on the bottom of the mast on my 1986 GF36/38. They were installed using rivets by a man who had worked for 15 years in the Freedom factory. He said that drilling the holes and mounting them this way near the bottom of the mast is not a problem. We have had no problems for more than four years.BTW, the halyards are bundled in a sack to protect them from sun during the hurricane season in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. We often throroughly strip the boat when it is hauled to reduce windage, including, in this case, lowering the boom off a rigid vang that is normally attached to the stainless collar wrapped at the base of the mast. - ReesOn May 16, 2008, at 10:34 AM, Sward wrote in part: About 6 or so years ago when I first had the boat, not knowing about not drilling into the mast, I had someone put a folding mast step on, since it was impossible for me to reach to put the halyard on the sail and zip the cover where the zipper started at the top. Is there something I should do about that or is it too late.“Life is a Reach, then you Jibe” SWARD.
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