Posted: May 18, 2017 - 11:06 PM
What i meant was that the circular cross-section spreaders that go through the mast will not move up and down at the tips. the cross-section makes it hard for them to flex that way so the setup with the shrouds sliding up and down as needed, seized and taped to the tips, is safe. the problem could arise id your get modern spreaders which are 1) not thick walled tubes going through the mast and 2) lacking in vertical cross-section and strength at its base to prevent it for sliding upwards or downwards and collapsing against the mast. I have never seen, only heard. But what I heard was that the first time a mast buckled the guy who raised the issue with Roland said "I told you so." With the set-up you have just keeps the shrouds seized to the end (I always used copper Easter egg dippers for this purpose when i fitted out every year in the spring). Remember you have a bendy mast that has successfully lasted with those spreaders for 40 years. And BTW, no spinnaker, that is another bad move.
