Chainplate Removal/Repair

[Piratenorm]

OK, with all the talk lately about checking chainplates, breaking chainplates, stainless steel rusting from the inside out when deprived of Oxygen (which I assume is what happens when they are bedded in the deck) as long as I'm doing my hull with epoxy, replacing my water muffler and replacing my plywood keel base over this winter, I might as well do the chainplates too.
So, on my 1983 Mk 1 30 footer, what do I do, step by step, to remove the chainplates at the deck and through to the bulkheads to check and re-bed them? Photos are welcome, treat me as a willing and enthusiastic novice and help me rebuild Guilty Pleasure so I may have another 20 years of fun with her.
Thanks.
Norm

 

[jrowan]

My 2 cents: before diving whole hog into all of those projects at once, just tackle one thing at a time. Get the most crucial things done under your belt, and work your way up the ladder of difficulty to gain experience, knowledge, & understanding of the boat & its design / systems. If you don't have a lot of blisters on your hull, then a full epoxy job may not be necessary. If your water muffler does have a leak or crack, the it would be a top priority to replace as it can cause flooding or carbon monoxide leakage into the cabin. I would have a rigger examine your chainplates, or first remove just one & examine it thoroughly before committing to replacing them all. Don't overwhelm yourself with repairs that honestly might be put off for years until they're really required. If your boat is built in the 3000's range then it already has upgraded stainless steel chainplates & backing plates for the shrouds installed by Catalina. Unless you have rot in the bulkheads or knees that they are attached to,then they should be o.k. Preventative maintenance is always good, but don't go over the deep end. Replacing the plywood in the bilge could take you a winter alone to complete, and also may not be necessary. I've seen some real neglected bathtubs at marinas weather storms that should've sunk them. I usually plan on one big repair or maintenance item per year or per haul out. That way you pace yourself, dont break the bank or drive yourself crazy.

 

[rbmcintire]

Norm, I'd tend to agree with JR here, unless you've had some indication of a chainplate problem. Are there leak streaks in the cabin at their locations, or have you had an experienced surveyor knock his deck hammer listening for delaminated fiberglass, or done moisture testing via meter or by infra-red camera? I wouldn't go there unless you could make a case for doing it. Review Catalina Direct's photos on the chainplate upgrades and see where yours compare.

Rob

 

[jrowan]

Ps. Norm,

Everytime I have seen a sailboat that had a rigging failure that actually caused a dismasting it was at the spreaders or upper shroud connections, not at the cahinplates.
If you have the original spruce wooden spreaders like I still do, then they are a higher priority on your replacement list. While spruce has been used to make masts, booms & spreaders for centuries & it is pretty durable & flexible it doesn't last forever. I still think you should get a 2nd opinion on your overall rigging condition from a pro. rigger before you do replacements that may not be warranted or necessary yet.

 

[wise4]

A broken spreader very rarely leads to a mast coming down unless there is a rigging issue as well....

I certainly wouldn't bother hiring someone to tell you the 30 year old chainplates and rigging need to be replaced.... You already know they should be simply based on age... The only question is what to replace (in what order) and if you're going to do it yourself or pay someone to do it.

Chain plate replacement on a cat 30 is not complex in the least.... It's really not even very expensive if your doing it yourself and can easily be done in the slip... Rigging replacement is also fairly straight forward but can be a real pita in the slip. We replaced our lowers in the slip but ended up hauling and stepping the mast to get the uppers all done in a reasonable timeframe.... Lots of work with the grinder to get the 32 year old rigging off....

Just make a list, prioritize and get to work.... If you can do the work yourself, you'll not only save $$$ but you'll also know it got done right. Google is your friend... If you don't know how to do something... Watch a utube video and do some research.... From engine rebuilding to rigging to electronics - none of it is too complex to do yourself.

Have fun and don't forget to get some sailing in between boat work.... Remember, the boat has lasted this long... You don't have to get everything done at once...