Garhauer Rigid Boom Vang RV-20-1SL - Installing mast bracket Part 3 - 2018

 We had already positioned the Garhauer RIgid Boom Vang RV-20-1SL  on the mast so that if we ran the line aft it would line up with a block on the upper deck.
Also, this was the lowest point on the mast I could drill the lowest holes for. If we positioned the vang any lower the line running aft would not clear the deck over the salon. This spot is a bit lower then the U that was on the mast. See our other posts.
Garhauer Rigid Boom Vang - Part 2
Garhauer Rigid Boom Vang - Part 1

Middle of April 2018 - Currently in Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay Mexico

Currently house sitting in Bucerias, PuertoVallarta, Mexico 

  First I unscrewed the "U" bracket that was in this spot, moved it up the sail track and held it there with blue tape. 

I had a mark on the boom from where we positioned the vang from before. 

 I drilled our first hole with a small pilot drill and it went fine. Using WD 40 spray to lube it while drilling and paper towels to clean off the drill bit. 

The I used the 13\64th drill bit to make the hole for the 1\4-20 NC tap. Now time to tap the hole a bit at a time, cleaning and oiling. Not a problem. It is aluminum, the mast, so it was easy going.

 Once I had the first screw in the rest was simple enough. I would drill a pilot hole and try to get it aligned so the screw would fit flat against the flange when screwed, using that angle and getting the drill bit in the center of the hole. Then it was on to the next drill bit the 13\64th one and then tap the hole. Repeat 7 more times. Wa-la all done😎

 Drill-tap-screw, drill-tap-screw etc.

Could just clear the deck with the drill enough to get a fairly straight hole.

You could use a 90 degree adapter here but I do not have one.

Ok I did get the bracket a little off center of the sail track. It is very little but I can notice it. Just by looking at it not a big deal. I am anal that way, though. So it is not a perfect job. The Garhauer RIgid Boom Vang RV-20-1SL will work just fine and with it attached even I will probably never see the off-set. 

We had gone to the fastener shop in Mezcales to pick up 

the 1\4 - 20 screws for the boom vang.

 

 

 

 

Here you can see the vang bracket is a little starboard lined up with the U bracket.

 The U bracket we will not use for anything that I know of. We will move it up and tie it off till we get a use for it then screw into the track again where we want it. It does not come out.

 I then took the bracket off so I can clean up and polish the area. Then install the bracket with dis-similar metal goop on the screws.

 Next is to position the Garhauer RIgid Boom Vang RV-20-1SL  on the mast and then see where it sits on the boom. We did this before in a dry run but now we do it for real. Then install the boom bracket.

 The U on the mast unscrewed and moved easily. Not so with the "U" that is in the way on the boom. It took a bit of work with an impact screw driver to loosen the screws. But I did remember how to work the impact screw drive this time.The bracket still will not budge. I will visit that issue in the next step.

These are  the things Debbie brought back from the US. All small stuff except for the Garhauer RIgid Boom Vang RV-20-1SL but it adds up!

The box to the far left is the Garhauer RIgid Boom Vang RV-20-1SL that Garmin said was 47" long in the box. That was small enough to get in as luggage no problem. It turned out to be over 60" long so we had to pay a fee to get it on board the plane.
 Customs was cool with Debbie - no red light/green light as they took her right over to the inspection table since she was carrying in a big box. Debbie explained the price and they charged 16 percent of half that price so that was cool.
TODO VELA MEXICO Chandlery cost:  $200 more then it cost us for us to buy direct the Garhauer RIgid Boom Vang RV-20-1SL and for Debbie to fly to Los Angeles then drive to San Diego and fly back to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from Tijuana, bringing it with her. That includes a bus in L.A. and an Uber in San Diego (she had to take because the CBX shuttle never showed up). So Debbie gets to see her sister in L.A. for three days and visit our daughter in S.D. for four days and bring back a bunch of smalls along with the vang for $200.00 USD less than TODO VELA MEXICO wanted just for the boom vang! Now, of course, Debbie did not include meals and her lodging was free but you get the picture.
 Also Garhauer forgot to change the block on the vang to a cam cleat which we ordered so we did not have to run the line to the cockpit right away. So Garhauer shipped the cam cleat with the bracket and block to our mailing service all for free. That means they did not switch out the block that leads the line aft to the cockpit. Which means when the time comes that we lead the line back we have the block to do it.

Update:
 Got the mast bracket installed. Cleaned up the mast area and put dissimilar metals goop on the bracket, mast and screws. Looks good.