After market aluminium spreaders

[Mark J]

I am wondering if anyone who has replaced OEM wood spreaders and installed the aluminium spreaders could give me any insight into how you put pullies on them for signal flags? And if so can you tell me how it should be done? Do you drill through both sides of the airfoil and use a bolt? Or drill the underside and tap screws or use rivits? Is there anything to watch out for?
Thanks

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Mark,

I changed my old wooden spreaders to a beautiful alumunum set made by JSI here in Tampa Bay a number of years ago.

Hopefully your mast is still stepped which will make things go easier.

Depending on the thickness of the aluminum, you can use sheet metal of tap threads for machine screws.

One thing to remember is that there is always a chemical reaction between dissimilar metals. Aluminum being the more noble metal in the galvanic scale, there is always some deteriation in the aluminum threads.
If you've ever removed threaded stainless threaded screws from aluminum which had been there for some time, you will notice a powder residue. That is the aluminum deterioration over time.

This doesn't have to be of concern; I just wanted you to be aware of such things.

Either method will work fine and have the strength to hold your burgees.

One suggestion is if tapping threads into the aluminum, use “thread lock” when attaching the screws. This will lesson galvanic corrosion over time and ensure the screws from coming loose.

Hope this was helpful.....
CR

 

[Bob Camarena]

One of the advantages of the JSI spreaders is that they're custom-made to fit your existing spreader brackets. Based on what I've read, Catalina's version requires significantly more work to install.

 

[Mark J]

CAPT Ron, (love that movie!)

Thanks for the insight. I will have to step the mast as one of the wood spreaders broke . But with what you have told me I feel confident that the proceedure will go well.
Mark

 

[Anonymous 121765]

Mark, Kool.

One thing to keep in mind is that the mast should have a stiffener ring internally at the spreaders for lateral loads at the point the spreaders meet the mast. This ensures that the mast will not compress.

Give Kent a call @ Catalina. He's my main guy for info on any year boat.
Tell him what your doing & see is he has any advice for you.

Catalina Yachts
21200 Victory Boulevard
Woodland Hills, CA 91367-2582
(818) 884-7700

Also not sure if you have the new spreaders yet, if not check with JSI.

Let me know how it goes pal........
CR

 

[pencema]

I've seen this reply in another forum, but there was a little more info there. The spreader brackets for the first couple of hundred 30's were welded to the mast (like mine), and the JSI spreaders (or other replacements) don't fit them well. The original owner of my boat (hull # 64) replaced the spreaders using the original brackets, and now they droop badly - and I assume dangerously. Does anyone make replacement spreaders for the original C-30 brackets?