Selden/Kemp Mast Gate-spring missing?

[mickywillis]

Working on Basils mast today. Had reason to remove the moving part of the mast gate. When refitted, there is no spring to it, as if the spring has been lost? I searched for a spring everywhere but couldn't find one?
Gate is the same as below.
Any ideas if its a metal spring or a rubber plug or neoprene cushion? Where can I get a replacement from? Can't find any details of what its supposed to look like online.

 

[merlin3688]

I think its a rubber plug, Allspars in Plymouth will be able to supply one.

 

[BabaYaga]

Part no 530-357 or 530-358 depending on size.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

When mine fell out as the main came down approaching Stromness my first thought was to contact our friendly riggers on the Clyde and see if they could post a new one. My next was to go up to the dive shop where a nice woman gave me an offcut of heavy duty wetsuit material. Cut to size, a bit of double sided heavy duty sticky tape and we were working again. It's now redundant as we have had an external track fitted but the improvised repair was still going strong after 3 seasons.

 

[mickywillis]

OK, so no metal spring as such? The moveable section has a sort of cut out in the back of it that looks like a spring (similar to I suppose a clothes peg spring? )would fit or locate.
In the diagram I show above, is the rubber plug the square item, fitted on the fixed part, that is about midway between the 1 and 2?
Ken, any ideas (roughly) on the size of the neoprene wetsuit material (thickness and length/width) that you used for yours? I have some sponge sealing tapes that I could use, which is double sided on one side, but I guess its about 4-6mm thick (can be cut to the external dimensions easily)

Thanks for replies so far, if anyone has a picture of the missing part, that would be useful.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

It was getting on for three years ago so I'm afraid my recollection is a bit hazy. 5 or 6mm wetsuit material? About 8x15 mm? I just cut it to fit the space.