Topic: Mast Spreaders loose at base
Hello All,
On my boat, the spreaders seem to fit rather loosely in the sockets on the mast.
I'm not sure if this is the way it is supposed to be, or not?
As you can see from the photos, when the retaining bolt on each spreader is tightened that holds the spreader to the mounting plate, the socket distorts somewhat and the spreaders can rock fore and aft (five degrees or so each way).
Are the spreaders supposed to fit snug in the mounting plates on the mast? Or are they supposed to be a little loose and able to move fore and aft a little (perhaps so they would be able to move and absorb some loading fore and aft without placing a big strain on the spreader mounting plates.