Chain plate cover upgrade - worth it?

[jviss]

Hey Mainesail,

(Catalina 36)

Planning on a thorough re-do of my chainplate sealing this winter. I have one broken screw, and the 3M 101 has given up.

I'm thinking of installing stainless threaded inserts into the deck with resin and using machine screws to fix the chainplate covers.

Then I will use butyl tape to seal them, of course!

I came across these on Catalina Direct:

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=2584

They are $18 each.

Any comment on them? Think they are worth it, better than stock when butyl tape is used?

Thanks,

jv

 

[Maine Sail]

I suppose if you installed them with the collar facing the sky then you could wrap silicone tape around the plate and collar plus butyl underneath as would normally be done..

 

[RichH]

Chainplate 'collars' will help keep the caulking beneath them under compression and attached/affixed to the sides of the decking through which the chainplates pass.

The 'compression' helps to keep the caulk functionally and geometrically stable with respect to the 'elasticity/movement' of the chainplate, etc. when under changing stress. The least amount of elastic movement, the better chance the caulk will continue to 'adhere' to the decking, etc.

Engineering-wise, it would also be better if there was an underdeck collar to compress/react against the deck top collar ... and the caulking compressed *between* the two collars.

 

[jviss]

I think they are intended to have the collar facing up.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Hmm... I'm gonna have to see if it would work on an S2.......

 

[JoeWhite]

Someone purchased them and found out that it will fit only on 2 out of the 6 chain plates. Measure them and make sure they will fit.

 

[Mark Sutherland]

jviss, I just did my chain plate openings. I "potted" each cp opening(filled with 6/10 epoxy and drilled/cut new openings). Now my cp openings are sealed/sleeved with epoxy with no chance of core exposure. Regarding the screws that hold down the covers, I over-sized those screw holes, filled with 6/10 epoxy, drilled and re-inserted the screws. Note that when I reinserted the screws to secure covers, I used my body weight and the handle of a hammer to compress the cover down onto the butyl, I did NOT use the screws to compress he butyl. Using that method, there should be VERY modest torque on the screws and they therefore should not strip out on you. My concern with imbedding the stainless threaded inserts is placement. It's possible that not all of your chain plates are oriented in the cp opening exactly where you think they might be(i.e. the middle of the opening, forward, aft, etc). If you lock these sleeves in epoxy, they may not be in the right place once you re-insert the chain plate and cover. With modest torqueing of the screws, epoxy alone should be fine. Also, use small screws so that you can up-size later, if needed.
Mark
mark@profitbydesign-cfo.com

 

[Mickstr]

Mark, do you have pix of what you did?

 

[Mark Sutherland]

I had a buddy taking the pictures. Let me see if I can get him to send them to me.