I had the same problem when I bought a new sail a few years ago. Never had a problem with the old sail.

I ended up installing the aluminum stub section. It's not hard at all, but it took more like a half hour start to finish.

I also noticed that the bolt rope in my sail did not extend all the way to the end of the tube created when the sailcloth is wrapped around it and stitched at the headboard. I inserted a 2" piece of fiberglass arrow shaft into the end of the tube to make a non-compressible "bolt-rope" at the very head of the sail.

Never had a problem after that.