I posted a request to my little corner of the Whitby community this week. I got fast, helpful answers. I love these folks.

We want to install a Mast Mate on the mizzen. To do that, we need to order some slides for the track up the mizzen mast . But I don't want to drive for 4 hours to get a single, stinking measurement. There's no scheduled trip to Deltaville this weekend because we're staying in Norfolk to work.

Sigh. What to do?

I posted a a "dear lazyweb" request. Rather than search around for someone's on-line Whitby 42 specifications document, I just asked for the number. Everyone came through with answers, advice, greetings. What a glorious feeling of community and shared purpose.

All based on mast slides—of all the goofy pieces of hardware. But each of these "I've got that, too" moments is a delightful thing. Some responses included summer plans. Some included alternatives for ascending the mizzen mast.

I got answers from folks here in the Chesapeake area. Plus answers from Joie de Vivre sailing in the Bahamas. It's a big community. It's a delight to be able to stay in touch.

I got the super-handy picture above, plus the bonus picture below showing the track in context on the mizzen mast.

For those keeping score at home, Red Ranger's masts are painted white. The picture is of Indefatigable's mizzen mast, which is unpainted. The two rods just below the 19ft mark are where the spreaders mount on the mast. This is a handy picture to have in the unlikely event that something fails up there.

The mast as a whole is some 30' tall.

The slides, as we can see in the picture at the top, are 7/8".