I hate to say this but all these issues have been solved by others already.

Sometimes I find that builders have their own idea's, while the right setup is well known.

A few examples. When employing an alu base plate then use a simple alu blind rivet (not monel). You can buy a simple rivet tang and a score of these cheap alu rivets enclosed for 20 bucks. With some strength you can also rivet 4 and 5 mm monel rivets with this small tangs. One of the better investments for a sailor.

When taking off the base plate just drill off the head of the blind rivet and hammer out the remaining pin with a screwdiver and a hammer. Often one hit is enough. As it is alu on alu you don't get any corroding between the materials that jams up any stainless steel bolts or crews.

Pretty much the diamond wires hold the mast plate to the mast section and the rivet/screw is only hold the plate in place. It is not a heavily loaded items. Been used plain alu rivets for 4 years now and I have no issues what so ever.

Shackles inside the mast, when fitting them secure them with a small wire, glue them or damage the end of the threading. All will prevent the shackles from becoming undone. When you need to take them off later then a simple hand "steel saw" (English ?) is enough to cut through the shackle in about 2 minutes. Shackles are inexpensive and so destroying one every 4 to 5 years is not much of an issue.

Diamond wires, Don't copy the A-cat setup where the terminals are threaded and placed through wholes in the base plata with only two nuts holding it in place. A-cats all use stainless steel base plates and stainless on stainless works, but stainless on alu doesn't, the latter jams up. Also you can't adjust the diamond wire tension on the A-cat setup unless your drop the mast and take off the diamond wires. This is a PITA. It is much better and only 30 bucks more expensive to use the setup as shown in the picture below. Also note the small 4 mm alu blind rivet !





Advantages, I can always replace my diamond wires without much effort and I can even adjust my diamond wire tension with the boat fully rigged. I have done the latter now several times. Just grap a spanner and a smaller screwdriver and turn the turn buckles. By the way, the bottom threaded (stainless) claw does jam up in the alu base plate, but in this case that is what you want. Now it can not turn with the turnbuckle when you adjust the settings. Also it can remain there forever as I can replace the whole diamond wire setup but just unscrewind the turnbuckle housing from the claw. This setup allows continious use of the alu base plate, which is cheaper then the stainless one (I'm told) and adds more to the mast step height then the thin stainless plate. Also this alu casted baseplate doesn't discolour or corrode as stainless. Overall it is a better alternative this way.

Also note the ronstan cleats for the internal downhaul line. ONLY use the RONSTAN cleats here, all others just don't work as well. The line guard of the RONSTAN cleat allows the line to be cleated and uncleated even it the line has an angle in the horizontal plane of 30 to 45 degrees. No other cam cleat has that feature to the same extend. As a result it is not needed to use swiveling cleats.

Notice the small eyestrap ? That is were I tied my downhaul line off using a simple slip knot and a single hitch as security. Very easy to tie and just as easy to untie as it is a slip knot, even when it has experienced very high loads. You must ignore the white-reddish line in the picture. Its use was temporary. An added advantage is that I can pretension my downhaul at a minimal setting using this strap. As such I never reach the end of my downhaul system and I can just uncleat my downhaul when I want it fully off. I just place my slip knot at a different location in the line. No issues anymore with S-hooks straightening or downhaul maxing out. If I have to I can adjust the downhaul pretension on the water. Not during a race, but between races I can. It takes about 30 seconds to untie the slip knot and tie is back at a different pretension setting.

Anybody else notice the simplicity of my mast spanner ? That thing is plain hardware store alu square tubeing that I glued into a V shape and bolted to the base plate using the bolts of the cleats.

And the story continues, but I have to stop now. All these things have been covered on this forum in the past. For as good as all issues, a solution has been found. There is no need to still be hassling with faulty setups.

You know what I need to do sometimes ? Spend a day photographing all the solutions and how they need to be used and place them on the internet.

Wouter