old mast tang on 1977

I think i need to replace my mast tang. it is a little bent (been dropped), it seems to be forming a slight dent on the mast (on the underside of the tang where it compresses down against the mast under load), and the single hole is just a little small for double trap sets. The dropping dented the mast well above the tang. I have a comptip that I'm going to retro on...found the directions/seems straight forward. I see that I can order the newer tang from Murrays's. Do you plug the old holes with rivets? Does the newer design match up with the original 1977 hole pattern. Should I move it 2" up or down to avoid "railroading" the alignment of the holes? I suppose I could just leave it as is...worked fine last summer (aside from some horrible screeching noise that seems to come from the tang when the mast flops back and forth in low wind). It seems like a future problem I should address now...?

Replace the tang.

Order from any authorized dealer: http://www.hobiecat.com/company/dealer.html

Mark the mast where the bottom of the main shackle hole is before removing the old. Align the bottom of the main shackle hole on the new one with your mark on the mast.

The holes do not align. A non issue. Plug with rivets and sealing caps.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)