Hey Steve, whereabouts in qld are you and the boat?

Looks like an alloy I beam which could be a good idea if you could afford it.  But the thing I would want to be sure about is if chafe might happen where that red line is so near the sharp edge of the beam.   How much does the beam weigh and how expensive and what do you know about its use for this situation?   Everybody will be curious and everybody will hope this is going to work out for you.  Keep us informed, please. 

the alloy beams were a big plus in the positive column when I was looking at this boat.. most other older wharrams  have had beam rot problems (including this one ) there is no evidence of chafe as the alloy is radiused at the lashing point. The big question is .. if there is going to be any wear at at this connection is it better to be in the lashing or the beam .. also is there any lubricant that one can apply that does not react with either the ropes or the alloy .. I may have a go with pure lanolin which is very slippery and a neutral product .. no friction    =   no chafe .. as to the cost I will have to get on to the previous owners .. but in the grand scheme of things I think the difference in cost between manufacturing  timber to alloy beams would be minimal but the peace of mind would be immense.  Certainly the fact that the tiki style lashings have been applied to a classic design with "space age " materials to me is a positive ,as opposed to the original bolts and compression rubber method......

the other factor in the design of the beam with it being of web construction as opposed to an extruded hollow section is a huge difference in the way the load forces are distributed without the need for a strut  and straps as per racing cats to take compression loads of the rig(s)  Having snapped the front beam on a tornado in extreme conditions showed me the limitations of this set up.. If I do come across any problems (apart from skinning ones shins) I will be sure to let You know..  regards steve