Fixing egg shaped holes in masthead

[Ryan]

The previous owner of my boat used undersized pins in the shackles he used to connect the shrouds to the masthead. As a result, the fore and backstay holes are a bit egg shaped. What is the best method to fix this? I can drill out the the next size, but I'd rather not remove anymore material than I have to. Thanks in advance.

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
I hate it when people do that, but it is usually fixable. First, we need to be sure that the masthead isn't deeply damaged; sometimes the aluminum can get fatigued in the way of the point-loading, even beyond the area that might get reamed away for the fix. Next, tell me how far the egg traveled, and what size the hole was originally. In other words, how big a hole will you need to ream in order to get to fresh metal.
Finally, how far is it from the edge of the hoped-for enlarged hole to the edge of the masthead, and how thick is the masthead metal? We are hoping that, even after some metal has been removed, that you will still have an appropriate amount of meat left.
Pictures or sketches would be nice, but not mandatory.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Ryan]

Brion

I will get a photo or two today and attach an accurately dimensioned drawing as well. Thanks!

Ryan

[Ryan]

Brion/All

A link to a picture of the masthead is attached. I apologize for the picture clarity, but the "egg" portion of the hold extends about 1/16 to 3/32 of an inch below the original bottom of the hole. The deformation is not severe, but I'd like the general consensus. Thanks so much for your time!

Ryan

http://photobucket.com/albums/d101/r...ailboat017.jpg