The wood parts on my boat are done and iam getting ready to build metal parts.Mast helper,,what is the nylon thing at the bottom for?IFC PA 100(SS plate under front of fuselage) ,is this part really nessasary?The 3 rope loops at rear what do thay do?Would like to hear any comments.Woodrow.

Regarding the stainless steel brace (PA 100), Its been on my classic since 1994 and I havnt done a thing with it (ie, its held up well). Id be a little worried of stressing the bottom front plywood peice without it as sharp turns can put a good rotational torque on front beam and this is probably the main thing the PA100 deals with. The front beam also flexes during sailing. Ive never tried it without and it might be ok but dont know.

Three loops in the back - they are there to keep the somewhat complex sheeting system from getting cought on anything. Ive only used the three configuration so dont have experience on using less but I would think the center one is absolutely necessary. The two on the outside might be removable but dont have experience and Id be cautious about removing them. I end up using the outside ones as handles to lift the boat once in a while also. I think things work well with all three and they dont add much weight.

wh