Fate has spit upon me

[JL Stratton]

Was checking out my forestay cable in preparation for tomorrow's sail. It looked damaged (unwound?) so I repositioned for a better look. As fate would have it, I tripped and fell, twisting my ankle. In my attempt to keep from falling over the side of the boat, I got wrapped up in the shrouds. It helped break my fall but, unfortunately it also broke my spreader bracket. So... anybody know where I can get a new spreader bracket? See pictures for a visual of my dilemma.

 

[JL Stratton]

Okay, I see that Hunter Owners sells a wrap around spreader bracket. This is not the same as I broke but does anyone know if this might work? Maybe with some modification? This would seem like a good question for Crazy Dave. Oh, and this is for a hunter 23.5.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

It appears that the forestay near the turnbuckle stud is shot and needs to be replaced. Seco South in the Tampa, FL made the original rigging. Not sure if the forum store can help. Need better photos of the entire spreader bracket to identify. Not sure if it is Z Spar (now US Spar) which the forum store can help or go to direct to us spar. If it is not that one it would be Kenyon isomat but parts available thru Rigrite. Need better photos of spreader bracket and bracket base to identify

 

[JL Stratton]

Here's more pictures. Thanks for the heads up on US Spars. I checked online but they show the same spreader base from the hunter owner's store. I was able to look in a pre-2000 online catalog and it showed what looked like the correct base. Of course, if the numbers are right, that base sells for nearly $90.00 dollars. Anyway, here's more photos. I'm really bummed that, after all that preparation, I will not be able to go sailing tomorrow. Oh, I believe the spreader was a Z Spar-Z65 and the mast is a Z 170.

 

[Rick Webb]

Looks like Mine


Page 8 item number 3176 in the "pre 2000 catalog" on the US Spars website

USSpars.com

but that does not come up in the search on the US Spars website

 

[JL Stratton]

Rick Webb-Thanks. This is the same number I got from the pre 2000 catalog but I'll have to call on Monday to order the part. Did you order this part as well? Do you recall the price? Were you able to order the rivets for it as well? I'm really bummed. We had planned on sailing Tomorrow (Saturday) out of Beacon Beach in Panama City and spend the day at Shell Island. It was during my pre-trailering inspection that this happened. I gotta say though, that the mess of cables probably prevented further injury as they stopped me from rolling right over the side of the boat. The mast was down for travel.

 

[Rick Webb]

I have not managed to break that part, yet. Mine is through bolted on the mast. The bolts are bent to the angle of the mast.

Try crooked island some time when your out there that is a little less crowded.

 

[JL Stratton]

We'll have to go there for a day. But, I heard St. Andrews Sound was a shark breeding ground. Maybe someone just told me that to keep the spot more private.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

On the bottom of the spreader base is 1021 or part 1021 for a Z spar mast (US Spars)
US spars does not list this specific part anymore as it may be discontinued.
First call U S spars located in Gainesville, FL. Advise an older mast from Z Spar and ask if the same as their part US Spar 3176. If not there is a reference of Z-1021-60X. If no help there, then contact Rigrite and mention old part for a spreader base Z-1021 and then reference their part Z-1021-60X. Not sure but hope this helps.

Hope this helps and keep us posted.

 

[Jackdaw]

US/Z-spars has had a long line of issues with spreader attachment on these Z1xx series spars.

Many of the original riveted on ones failed under load, or crimped the mast under them, causing a total mast failure.

Next they went with the wrap version as an upgrade, which was better and also (key point) field upgradleable by owners.

The best versions were available later on some of the Z1xx spars; held by an angled SS bar that ran through the mast and locked the spreaders in place without placing compression loads on the spar.

 

[JL Stratton]

Jackdaw - Thanks for the info. I'm now leaning toward the upgrade kit. I called US Spars and was told they no longer sell the older spreader brackets, in part, for the reasons you mentioned. As Dave Condon wrote and the US Spars representative said, Rig Rite may sell the older bracket. I will call them but, because of a previous issue I had where the previous owner purchased new sails and way overpowered the boat with a 135% genoa I've already had to bolster the chainplates. I also found some damage to the forestay cable at the t-ball swaged fitting and sent that to West Marine this weekend to have a new one made. Attached are some pictures of the chainplate repair and the forestay damage/separation. The picture doesn't show it well but those strands were completely separated from the swaged t-ball fitting. Not sure how the damage to the forestay occurred as there is a CDI flexible furler installed for the headsail.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

some type of wrap occurred but not caused by the jib halyard unless the previous owner did something. Thank you for listening to me about the forestay I think as it was damaged and needed replacement.

 

[JL Stratton]

Dave Condon - I wonder if this was damage from previous owner adjusting the turnbuckle without supporting the cable. Thank you for convincing me to get a new forestay. If I had not broken that spreader bracket the devil on my left shoulder would have convinced me to just put replacement on my to do list. After removing the assembly and inspecting further, I realized that the damage was much worse than the pictures show. It could've catastrophically failed next year or tomorrow! Thanks again.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

You are welcome and anytime feel free to ask.

 

[Jackdaw]

Jackdaw - Thanks for the info. The picture doesn't show it well but those strands were completely separated from the swaged t-ball fitting. Not sure how the damage to the forestay occurred as there is a CDI flexible furler installed for the headsail.

If the forestay was terminated at the mast with just a tee-ball fitting you have your answer for the failure. Furlers MUST have toggles at the ends to deal with the sharp loading the furler extrusions place in the wire. Read the CDI manual, it calls for a SET of them. Thats standard for furlers.

 

[caverun]

Here's the t-ball toggle that Seco South made up when I upgraded to a Schaefer furler and got a new forestay.

 

[Jackdaw]

Here's the t-ball toggle that Seco South made up when I upgraded to a Schaefer furler and got a new forestay.

Exactly my point. Thanks for posting that. That is exactly what that should look like with a T-ball fitting.

 

[Jackdaw]

Its literally the first thing they say in the manual. OK the second.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

CAVERUN and JACKDAW;
Thank you for pointing that out.

 

[JL Stratton]

Just great. I've already sent my old cable out to be replaced. I wonder if I could call them and make a change before they make the new one. I suppose these are the chances one takes when buying a used boat with "upgrades."
Thanks so much for pointing this out. I went to West Marine to place my order and the old cable went out on a truck yesterday. With luck, I should be able to call this morning and put in a change to the order. I've now downloaded the CDI FF2 manual to properly "educate" myself and hopefully avoid any more pitfalls in the future. I tell ya, the next owner of my sailboat is going to get one finely tuned and fully upgraded sailing vessel. I suppose the boat is mine forever as I can't afford to sell it.