Mast questions

I have a trimaran that uses the H16 mast and I have few questions, some of those due to the lack of ability to inspect the real H16 up close.
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<br>1. What is the length of the comptip attachment?
<br>2. What is the problem with not using the hook on top of the mast for the main and instead cleating the main halyard to a cleat near the foot of the mast. I recall something about breaking the halyard and mast compression, but do not exactly remember the details.
<br>3. Related to #2, what is the problem with installing reefing points in the main sail?
<br>4. Is it absolutely necessary to use the nylon/teflon washers in the mast step, under the foot?
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<br>Thanks a lot,
<br>Serge<br><br>

the comptip on my 81 h-16 is 93 inches.
<br>I can imagine that you might break a halyard if you don't use the hook provided.
<br>I'd also like to know more about reefing the main.
<br>In a pinch a whiffle golf ball cut in half can provide a bearing for a mast foot. I would also recommend grease.
<br>greg...h14-16<br><br>

IF you have a comp-tip you will be unable to reef the main. This is due to the construction of the comp-tip. yes it is necessary to use a teflon spacer or spacer of some kind between the mast amd mast base or you will have metal to matal contact and scoring will occur. You can use a lot of things instead of the teflon washer such as the cap to a two liter bottle of soda or a quarter (dissimular metal) just some thoughts. <br><br>

If you have the old style mast w/o the comptip don't add it. I have an old style on my '81 H16 with out the comp tip. The halyard is wire with 2 compression fittings on it to lock the main onto when raised. The second fitting is for a sail with reefing points. I don't have the original sail so I don't know if it had the grommets in the sail to tie it off with but have seen one. I haven't looked at a setup with the comp tip so I don't know what the attachment points look like. Some one else would have to comment on that. I hope this helps.
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<br>Clayton
<br>H20, H16<br><br>

Halyard/sail discussion:
<br>IRT 2: The advantage of the hook is that there is only a small length of wire rope that is tensioned (streched) as you downhaul the sail. If you "lock" the sail by cleating the halyard at the bottom of the mast, when you downhaul you will be tensioning the entire length of halyard, most of which is stretchy polyester rope.
<br>IRT 3: With the exception of the comptip, the H16 mast has not changed over the years. The halyards and sails made a big change in the early '80s. As other have noted, the early sails had reef points and the halyard had a longer wire rope section with two swages for locking into the hook, one for full up and one for reefed. Later sails no longer had reef points and the halyard went to a shorter wire rope section with a swage right at the transition to polyester. There is no problem adding reef points to a later style sail but the halyard would need to be modified as well (to use with the hook, which I recommend).
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Thanks a lot guys.
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<br>My mast is without the comptip. However, I just bought a used mast that was straight and gorgeous until it came into the trucker's hands, who left a big dent above the tang. I thought that this may be useful to a OD class racer who may be able to cut the dented top off and install the comptip (the mast is in Boston, BTW).
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<br>My halyard is wire with two compression fittings, which inconveniently end up sometimes in the luff groove. The halyard is already tailed to the bottom of the mast, and it works ok, at least what I have seen in up to 18 knots of wind. Once I swap the mast for a straight one, I plan on installing a vectran rope for the halyard. I don't need as much travel on the downhaul as I have three times the weight of a H16 to carry around.
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<br>Thanks again,
<br>S.<br><br>