Bolts holding sidestay plates

[Birch Burdick]

Question: I recently inherited a Daysailer II from a friend. I am having some probems with the bracket holding the sidestays to the deck. I have used stainless steel bolts as large as the holes in the brackets allow (perhaps an 8 or 10 size bolt). Twice they have snapped, sending the mast into the lake and me to the web looking for new tabernacles, spreaders, etc. This last time the wind was only moderate. Getting a bit old, and scary. Have any of you had this problem and what was your solution?

 

[Bob]

Over Stressed Bolts

Hi Birch,Possible you are putting too much torque on the bolts when they are installed.Over torqued bolts would be highly stressed if over tightened and then be overstressed to the breaking point under sail.Check the recommended torque for the bolt and also the recommended stay tension.Sure this is more than a bit stressful. Might be possible to tie a dacron line from one turnbuckel to the other passing the line under the boat. This would save the rig while you test solutions.Good luck,Bob

 

[Mike]

Something's not right

I'm not familiar with the daysailor. How are these plates attached? Is there a strap running from the deck down the hull? Is it on the deck and should there be some structure through which the bolts pass below deck (on my 25 they go through the bulk head).Are you really breaking the bolts or are they pulling through rotten decking? If you are actually breaking bolts then there is something VERY wrong with the bolts. I can't imagine enough force on that boat to break bolts. That's why I'm thinking some backing plate is missing and you're pulling them through the glass. Especially when you say the wind was moderate. I sail in some stif wind and have NEVER broken a bolt in a chain plate and stainless steel no less. I've looked at some of the daysailor photos on this site and its hard to tell what they attach too and there are different set ups on even the boats posted here (diff. models). There is something missing from this story. Tell us how it attaches.Mike

 

[J P Turkey]

Bolts vary greatly in quality

The standard Hardware Store bolt is not very strong. There are various grades of steel used to manufacture them. Talk to someone at a Marine store and get hardened steel / stainless steel bolts and nuts, in the largest size that fits. If in fact they are breaking and not pulling through as another post suggests.