On the other hand, what a perfect opportunity to try uploading photos from my newly opened photo account! Finally I've got one. :looks on bright side:
This is probably the first (big) thing wherein I'm thinking "Dreaded Previous Owner," so I guess I'm not doing too badly. He really did take good care of the boat.
So, as you'll see in the photos, the masthead is (I believe?) cast aluminum. The crack runs across the pin for the forestay, but I don't think it was caused by any normal rigging stress. Instead, I think it was caused by a fabrication that the previous owner made.
Basically, he took two chainplates, put some wood between them, and bolted them to the masthead so that they protruded forward in order to hold a spinnaker halyard. The problem arose because there are two "ears" there on the masthead, and he did not put an adequate compression post between them, so tightening the new "outrigger" squeezed the ears together slightly. It does not look like cast aluminum likes to be squeezed.
I don't plan to keep this spinnaker halyard arrangement, so it will be removed.
What I don't know is if it's possible to repair the masthead (I have the feeling that cast aluminum probably does not take well to repairs, but I don't really know). I don't mind how it looks (sister plate or whatever) as long as it's structurally sound.
Or, if it cannot be repaired, how does one go about replacing a masthead? Must they be custom fabbed? Or are there stock mastheads one can buy?
Thanks ahead for your input.
Oh, the mast is down and easily accessible on a mast rack right now. I would like to be able to step it within the month (too bad I did not see this crack sooner).
Rachel
1967 Alberg 30 #221
Here is an overall view. We are looking at the port side of the masthead. You can just barely see the crack in this photo if you follow the swage up from the forestay to the pin. Try to ignore the multitude of spars in the background:
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3213040743_4c7d25098c.jpg)
Here is a close-up of the crack on the port side of the masthead taken from the same angle as the previous photo. There is no corresponding (visible) crack on the starboard side:
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/3213040723_d622ec5eb2.jpg)
Here we are looking at the "ears" from above. Forward is on our right. You can see where the port side ear is slightly bent in by (I believe) the force of the plates making up the spinnaker halyard extension (how did that ever seem like a smart thing to do?):
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3213040729_af02a8fba2.jpg)
Close up of same. The crack is on the outside of the upper ear; you can just see it near the left-hand "point" of the hex head on the pin:
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/3213040717_a004014a32.jpg)
Looking from underneath, with the spinnaker extension going forward off to the left of the photo:
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/3213040745_a7f67f9f66.jpg)
Last photo, looking down from the top, with the crack just visible on the left ear, at the lower hex-head point (top of the photo would project out forward on the boat):
![Image](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3481/3213040735_e7cbf343c3.jpg)