I have come across a major problem with the aluminium forestay bracket welded to the Proctor mast of my Seal 22 (No 267). On close inspection one of the two flanges of this bracket appears damaged. I know this sounds odd but it looks like somebody has attemped to weld something to it in the past with out success, or the only other suggestion I have is that it may have been struck by lightening as the hole where the pin holding the forestay goes through is very rough, oversize and has what looks like 'weld splatter'around it. There are also what clearly look like cracks caused by corrosion running out from the hole in the direction it would be under stress.

Does anybody have any ideas as to how to affect a repair which will be safe and does not involve replacing the mast?

Nick Muir

I wondered why you weren't up our creek this year! Sounds nasty.

I can't see why you couldn't fit a Z-Spars fitting like I have on my 21 which is basically the same. It's a casting that has a spinnaker halyard sheave at the top, a forestay fitting to take a clevis pin and a genoa halyard sheave at the bottom. Get Z-Spars ( www.zsparsuk.com  ) to quote for a "Parker 21 forestay fitting" They did me a boom end fitting by return of post last year. It might be an idea to quote this note in case there's confusion!

You'd have to cut a suitable shaped hole in the front of the mast but it should be possible.

Geoff Harwood