Replacing boom vang eye strap in mast track

[pablosgirl]

Hi all,

While sailing in 15 to 20 knot breeze in the Gulf of Mexico the eyestrap holding the boom vang to the mast broke on the end closest to the deck.  Looks like a victim of crevice corrosion.  It looks like that the eye strap slides into the mainsail track and is riveted in place.

I see two ways to replace the eye strap:
1) Drill out existing holes and tap for machine screw and mount the new eye strap external to the main sail track.

2) using the main sail slide entry to place a eye strap into the track and slid it down into place.  This would require removing the boom gooseneck fitting from the mast.  Drilling out 8 SS rivets.

My question to the forum is has this happened to anyone else and how did you replace it.  Also any advice on my proposed methods or other ways of affecting a repair would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Paul

[Craig Illman]

Not an answer to your question, but use this as an excuse to install a solid vang, they're not that expensive. Otherwise, I'd go with your option #1.

Craig