Mast-top blimp

Since I sail alone most of the time, I have found the mast-top blimp helpful to prevent turtling. However, I have not been very successful in mounting it, mostly due to the comp tip. The first one I had, I tried through-bolting it to the tip. In a storm, the top of the comp tip ripped off. Now with a new comp tip, I tried rivets, but since the comp tip seems to be filled with foam at the top, the rivets hold poorly and I am needing to redo the rivets after one year. At least the comp tip is not ruined again, so maybe mounting it less securely was a good thing. Any suggestions on mounting?

Are you using the rotating mast head float where the 'mast' of the float actually maounts to the side of your mast?

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Yes. The post mounts to the mast and the blimp rides on the post. The post has two holes in it which I have riveted to the mast and then i supplemented this with two u-shaped brackets over the post.

OK, Good, you have the right one. Use the stainless rivets to attach that sucker and you should be fine. The rivets are the way to go. If you through bolt it, as you found out, it will weaken the comptip. For the rivets that go through the post they should be quite long and stainless steel. I think 3/16"X 1" or so. The foam inside if the comptip will in no way prevent the rivets from popping.

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