chainplate failure

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Sep 11, 2012
4
Oday 22 East Sooke BC
Neighbour's phonecall notified us that a passing cruiser (too close and too fast) rocked our recently acquired and docked 1972 O'day22 hard, and that "the mast fell over". My wife and I hurriedly finished our birthday lunch overlooking Victoria harbour (same birthdays, though not years), and drove home.

The port chainplate had failed utterly. Was horribly corroded below its deckplate. Starboard one looks much better, but I'll replace both (now I worry about fore and backstays!). The passing cruiser precipitated the event, which might have happened at sea otherwise. Mast was lying to starboard and across the dock. Tabernacle had of course been ripped out of cabin roof. In my few months of ownership I had failed to notice that a previous owner had used bolts and large washers to fasten tabernacle - "to make it stronger" no doubt. Result? A hole in the cabin roof larger than the tabernacle. Had SS screws been used instead, the repair would have been a simple one.

The cabin roof appears to be a sandwich of glass/wood/glass (I've never done fiberglass - I work with metal and wood). The wood part of the sandwich is like a soft, wet sponge all around the hole. I suppose water has been coming in around the bolts. I can dig out whatever I can reach. Then what? I'm willing and able to learn fiberglass repair. Don't think this warrants an insurance claim. The chainplates themselves are simple replacements, and will be leakproof.

Any opinions, ideas? Thanks!

Peter
 
Feb 20, 2011
8,062
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Maybe go and thank that passing cruiser, for starters? :D You're right, better there than out there.

Fiberglass work is very forgiving, and there are a lot of tutorials here and there on the interweb.
 

Erieau

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Apr 3, 2009
209
Oday 25 Erieau
I bought my new chainplates from DR Marine. Quick service, exact replacement.
 
Jun 29, 2010
1,287
Beneteau First 235 Lake Minnetonka, MN
I swapped chainplates and bulkheads last year on my 25. Before launch this season I also recored the deck under the mast. You can do this. The core at that part of the boat is probably balsa. Your mileage will vary on thickness. I had read all over that my core was supposed to be 1/2". When I measured some, it was 3/8:, and yes that was the dry stuff. Anyway, get some West epoxy, hardener and some 404 filler. Some core, a cutting tool and have at it.... like I said, you can do it, just will take time and planning. The blog link in my sig hass a few posts on the bulkhead repair from last year, haven't posted about the core repair yet but there are lots of examples out on the web.
 
Sep 11, 2012
4
Oday 22 East Sooke BC
Thanks to everyone for encouragement, suggestions, and links. Chainplates no problem. Cabin top core replacement still a puzzle, but will search posts. Much to learn about resin and mats, looking forward to it!
 
Jun 12, 2010
936
Oday 22 Orleans Marina, NOLA
Keep us posted on your progress with pics and narrative. This is a common type of repair needed on older boats, its been done many times before by owners with no prior experience working with fiberglass. Messy job but not hard, so I've been told. There are a lot of resources on the internet, and of course books. Don Casey's 'This Old Boat' is a good overall book for older boat maintenance - he has chapters on fiberglass repair as well.
 
Nov 5, 2010
99
Oday 23 Stonington, CT
This is an example of why one should NOT leave the mast base screwed into the mast step. There is no need to do this, except of course when the mast is being raised and the tabernacle and the step must be a hinged unit. The result of leaving the mast base screwed to the step is that in event of shroud or chainplate failure, the mast falls down AND rips open your cabin top. Ouch. That is a huge repair. I would have a fiberglass expert take a look at it.
 
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