I have just procured a Merlin Rocket (Sail No 2978)which needs some work and complete re-rigging. The most noticeable missing part is a mast gate; the holes where it used to be are evident but the gate is long gone. Can anyone give me an idea how I get hold of one for this vintage of boat? Thanks,

Roddy

Dear Roddy,

Send me an email - I'll send you my address. Send a SAE for the appropriate weight (I'll weigh it when I get home). It's "just" the latch part form our old Smokers (2981).
It's actually a Holt part - it's still made and available....

Colin

Other classes just use a piece of old spreader.

Other than that most chandlers will do a stainless steel one.

Hi Roddy,

Assuming that you just need the latch you could go along to the local light engineering metal fabricators and obtain a strip of SS 2mm thick x 2cm wide x 12cm long then drill a hole at both ends to match the screw holes in the deck gate, turn one of the holes into a slot to latch over the screw and round off the corners.

Have fun.

Do you need one? once the mastram is attached, there is no need.
If you do then use a 3mm bit of rope, its lighter than metal

If Roddy's boat is similar to the one we've just broken (2981 - Smoker satisfaction - I don't have the Year book with me), there was/is a mast ram, but not a strut. The struts seem to have arrived with the low bow tank. The High tank designs just aren't capable of the higher rig tensions (too flexible).
Ours had a latch at the end of the gate (to stop the mast falling over - no forestay). However, when parked, I made sure that the spinnaker halyard was connected to the jib fitting and pulled tight.

Cheers,

Colin

Then use a rope strop round the ram