[quote=bberkey]Thanks for all the advice. I am slowly pushing a head with the project with some uncertainty; but I will report the findings so far.
The original plan of moving the ball from and mast base from the H18 to the P18-2 is a no go the H18 has (in my opinion) a backwards front cross bar such that the trampoline bolt rope is inserted at the front of the boat then the tramp warps under the cross bar. So while the H18 and P18-2 cross bars seem to have very similar cross sections; the mast step base from the H18 has to be installed backward to match the curve of the P18-2 cross bar. This also puts the mast step in the wrong location for the P18-2 dolphin striker.
So at this point the plan is to try and stick a P16 (I have never seen the boat this came off of but from what I read the only thing it can be is a P16; it is ~1ft shorter then a H18 mast and has a prindle like mast base), mast base into the H18 mast. If it fits this tightly I think all of the problems are solved.
Or to attempt to modify the P18-2 mast step to accept a Hobie mast hinge. It looks like to do this we need to machine a couple parts. Sketch of the plan is to use a H18 dolphin striker (or similar steel bar) and add cut threads into the top of it such that it threads into the P18-2 mast step from below, we would then cut off the H18 mast step to have a flat bottom which would be installed on top the P18-2 dolphin striker
I really hope we can get away with just swapping the mast bases it sounds like so much less work. And so far visual inspections with the mast laying next to each other and matching H18 mast hinge to the P18 mast base seem to confirm they are either the same size or very close. I really hope we get lucky on this. And I suppose worst possible case if nothing else works; we can put the P16 mast back together and use smaller or square top sails.
I will update more as things progress.
Cheers
-Ben[/quote]
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