The problem, and something I didn't notice until I started working on things, was that apparently the mast is from the original 1977 P16, but the boom I got was from the P18, which must have been a newer boat because there appears to be no way to connect the two. As near as I can tell, the riveted plate that would connect to the boom mounting is gone (the light patch at the base of the mast).
The mast:
The boom:
And never the two shall meet...
I haven't been able to find what any of the boom-to-mast connections look like for the old P16s, only P16s made in the 80's and newer, with the stepping hinge on the base of the mast, etc. The manual I found was from that time period as well.
Finding a mast online to buy has been impossible thus far, no one in Michigan has one and I can't find anything on Murray's site beyond parts. Any thoughts on how I could get that mast to work with that boom?
Thanks in advance.