Whilst gybing out of the overfalls off St Catherines Point last week we managed to snap off the "u-bolt" welded to the back of the mast tabernacle on Juicy Blue. Has anyone else experienced such a breakage and if so can they recommend a repair ?

My best idea so far is to drill out the broken welds (already untidy holes) and find / make a suitable bolt on fitting. This may however involve cutting away some of the track at the bottom of the mast to make room for nuts and washers.

I am assuming that welding something on to the tabernacle in situ might be unwise

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Re Kicker. If the tabernacle and mast are arranged in the same way as a P21 - A wichard type u bolt and two extra nuts should fit the damaged holes, with just enough clearance between the mast and the tabernacle for the protruding threads of the u bolt and enough thread exposed on the shank of the threads to tighten it in place.

Suggest avoiding welding in situ perhaps as hot particles find their way onto the gel coat.

Lindsey P21/75

Hi, there have been a few instances of this happening and Bill Parker did supply a replacement fitting to fit into the track at the base of the mast. Suggest you contact Z-spars as it may be a standard fitting and I have always found them very helpful. Don't bother trying to re-weld it

Peter P235 Zephyr