Pre drill holes in the plate
Lay the mast flat
Drill holes in the mast using the plate as a template (remember carefully which side goes where)
Tape the plate to a long stiff rod or beam. Broomstick worked well for me. Don't go overboard with tape it, you are not forcing up the mast.
Fiddle about with the broom stick while your helper looks through the whole in the mast to see whether one hole is about to aling itself.
If so, use a iceprick of screwdriver to "stabilize" the plate.
Increase screwdriver size as to align the plate better and better.
Keep the screwdriver in and try to aling an opposing hole. Use again some screwdriver to properly align the plate.
The plate should be aligned pretty well know, try to put blind rivets in the remaining two holes. With a bit of fiddle this works. If confident you can pull the broom free before doing this.
From then onwards replace screw drivers with rivets.
Doubt check whether everthing is at it should be. (testing operation of downhaul over full swing, no lines crossed ?)
Certain everything is alright ?
Rivet all fasteners into place.
I think it took me 5 minutes do do, but I had the whole system neatly lined up next to the mast.
It is really not as difficult as it sounds.
8:1 will do but 12:1 is better with respect to finetuning the luff tension.
Wouter
Last edited by Wouter; 11/20/09 07:05 PM.