H26 goose neck bushings

[George Henry]

Just pulled our boat out for winter and discovered the bushings in the goose neck are are worn out and I'm getting black ground up metal on main sail.I have a Isomat system and the boat is 1995, H26.Has anyone else had this problem and found a solution? I emailed Hunter but I'm not holding my breath.It appears I only need new plastic bushings. Would like to do it the easy way before I take it to my brother-in-law the machinist, a very nice accessory that evolved from my marriage.Regards,George Henrys/v Whatever

 

[Mark Sanford]

Replace the bushings NOW

I had to replace the bushings in the gooseneck of my H23 this spring. Unfortunately, the previous owner neglected to do this for a few years and the plastic bushings fell out. The metal on metal rubbing actually caused the lower pin to become shaped like an oval which ment that I had to fabricate custom bushings. I made the bushings from UMHW (Ultra-high Molecular Weight) plastic which is easy to work with. They have held up well for this sailing season. This is a dense stable material with a low coefficient of friction. It is sometimes available at woodworking supply stores. Woodworkers use it for low friction bearings for drawers.Also check the pop revits on your mast attachment. Mine used 1/4 " dia ones which can only be clinched properly with an industrial tool. I over came this problem by disassembling the pop rivet and grinding down the pin so that it fit into one of the smaller hand tools.

 

[Dave Condon]

mast parts

Call Charleston Spars to see if they might have the parts you need for the goose neck. Phone 704-597-1502. They are at the old and former Isomat place in Charlotte, NC