Shroud anchor point

[mbaker267]

I recently received a 1976 Cat-22 so have no experience with it. I am in the process of refurbishing it and have a question about what I think is a weird shroud anchor. Please see attached photo. This is a standard U-bolt that the center shroud is attached to. This is the one that goes through the spreader in the mast. This U-bolt is behind the aft shroud anchor and simply goes through the deck with no water proofing. This appears to me to be out of place. Fortunately, I feel no sponginess in the deck in this area.

Should I remove and patch the U-bolt? There is one in the same location on the other side. Have any idea why this might be here?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Any Sea]

The short answer is it's wrong. The upper shroud should anchor to the middle chain plate shown in your picture. Does the boat have lower shrouds? There should be a forward and aft lower shroud. Would be very curious to see a picture of the full view of the shrouds.

 

[mbaker267]

Thanks, I thought that looked wrong. This boat does have the forward and aft shrouds. If you look at the photo, you can barely make out the anchors for all three. I am assuming that is what you are calling the chain plates? Still learning terminology. I will remove these U-bolts this week. I am planning on filling the holes with epoxy. Is this a correct solution?

 

[JBP-PA]

You are absolutely right. The bolts you circled are where your shrouds should attach. Who knows what that u-bolt was intended for. Fill the holes with thickened epoxy. Epoxy needs UV protection, some paint will do.

 

[JBP-PA]

Yea, they are still called chainplates even though they are bolts not plates (on your boat) and there are no chains.

 

[Gene Neill]

Could there be some extensive core rot in the vicinity of the original chainplate? I can think of no other reason someone would have done such a sinful thing with that U bolt.

 

[mbaker267]

My thoughts as well. When I checked, there was no rot. Glad I removed them today. When I unbolted the port side, it broke off it was so rusted.

Thanks everyone for your help. I am sure I will have more questions to come.

 

[danooxnard]

You are headed in the right direction, you may want to consider replacing you original chain plates with new replacements from Catalina Direct. They are nice and have large backing plates and a top plate with screws to keep them from spinning. When I replaced my original ones one of the snapped off too. There is a great youtube video on how to line them up so you wont bend your turn buckles when raising the mast. They basically line up with with center of the chain plate pointing at the mast. Best of luck, Dano

 

[Any Sea]

Could there be some extensive core rot in the vicinity of the original chainplate? I can think of no other reason someone would have done such a sinful thing with that U bolt.

I wondered if they created a swept back shroud and eliminated the lowers.

 

[mbaker267]

Interesting thought, but I like the security of having all the shrouds present. LOL.

 

[Any Sea]

Yeah. I didn't mean to imply it was a good idea. I just can't understand why they did it.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

My thoughts as well. When I checked, there was no rot. Glad I removed them today. When I unbolted the port side, it broke off it was so rusted.

Thanks everyone for your help. I am sure I will have more questions to come.

There's rot under the fiberglass deck. You won't see/feel it unless you make a bigger hole but one look at that rust tells me it's near impossible for the core not to be rotted

 

[mbaker267]

You are most likely correct. I temporarily plugged the holes with butyl tape. When I go to epoxy, I will enlarge and inspect.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Yeah. I didn't mean to imply it was a good idea. I just can't understand why they did it.

I've seen a few other boats that use U bolts instead of a flat piece of stainless. Perhaps the U-bolt helps with stepping the mast or simply the fact that it was available at the hardware store. I sincerely hope it's fastened to a bulkhead somehow. I doubt the rotted deck will hold up

 

[pclarksurf]

and while you're at it-- go chase that Ubolt into the cabin? Not a whole lot of meat up there-- and with such an odd approach to what is now forward of the forward lowers; I'm really hoping your main stays are attached to the bulkhead via the chainplate? Aft and forward are deck through mounted with a backing plate: (and this is pre upgrade with the stock '73 hardware which has since been replaced and upgraded to larger stock): view is port looking back from the v-berth; F/forward M/Midships A/ Aft