Chainplate sealing.

[Ed Schenck]

I was able to spend Friday on my H37C. This has been a bad winter for bilge water. The yard did not get the cradle level so that I have standing water on the decks. Except when it was frozen of course.A lot of that water came in through the mast as usual. But I also had wetness around the toerail bolts and chainplates. So I decided to tackle that on Friday after I installed the vanity sink(other post).I wasted 20 minutes trying to dig out the old sealant with the cover just an inch off the deck. I finally bit the bullet and loosened all the shrouds. Then I took off one shroud at a time and tied it off to the toerail. With the cover plate off it took at least 30 minutes per chainplate to get the old sealant out of that hole. You wonder how it could leak! That stuff is tough yet the water gets in.I refilled the hole and built it up with Life-Caulk, the same stuff I use for the portlights. I used enough that it pushed out the edges and in the middle when I reinstalled the cover. I am considering making new covers that are split but overlap. Something that you could take off without removing the shrouds. Anybody done that? Now I have to borrow a Loos gauge and retune the rigging.I know that toerail bolts are supposed to be tightened by holding the bolt and turning the nut. The theory is that you do not want to turn the bolt and disturb the sealant. Well I work alone and I know there is no sealant if there ever was any. So I tape a box end 1/2" wrench to the bolt and side of the hull. Then I go up with a very large phillips and vise-grips and tighten from above. It is slow going but I really get them snug. I have considered some kind of large wing nut where the "wing" would jam against the hull. Then I could tighten easily and often. I have doubled up a few with fiber locknuts. Not sure if that will prevent further loosening. Another fine day on the hard.

 

[Charles]

Something To Ponder

Recently changed a couple of my chainplates and found that I needed to recaulk the chainplate covers after I retensioned the rigging. The chainplates moved slightly after I tighten the shrouds and began leaking.

 

[Osprey17220]

More Pondering..)

Make sure to only tighten about 85 or 90% of the way. Let the caulk set up till crued (24 hr?) Finish tightening.This sseaves some sealent under the cover plate to be compressed in the final tightening.The idea in not to squeeze out all the calk when it's wet.Sounds like it wouldn't hurt to tension the rig before calking...Sounds like your doing a great job on your boat Ed.

 

[Jim Legere]

Rig tension without Loos

I simple trick I have used in the past when contemplating loosening a shroud, etc. is to measure with a ruler between the clevis pins top and bottom of the turnbuckle BEFORE loosening the rig. Record measurement for each turnbuckle. When re-tensioning the rig, go back to these measurements and you'll be pretty damn close to the original rig tension. PS, this won't work when changing a piece of rigging unless the replacement rigging is EXACTLY the same length.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Rig tension.

Fortunately Jim I have easy access to a couple of Loos guages in my marina. Your idea has merit. A previous owner had taped the threads right at the turnbuckle. So you just tightened to the tape. Problem is the rig was evidently way out of spec when he put on the tape. I don't know that I have ever got it right. But the tension was right and she sailed like a dream so maybe. . . .

 

[Bob]

Chainplate sealing?

What do you guys think about cutting up an old inner tube or some other piece of soft rubber, and cutting it into pieces the same size as the chainplate covers ( about 2" x 3") amd then cutting a slit slightly smaller then the chain plate. Slip the rubber over the chainplate. Caulk under the rubber, then slip the stainless chainplate cover back on, and screw it down. I think the rubber would protude back up through the slit and surround the chainplate, keeping the caulk in the hole where its supposed to be, and leaving a small rubber ridge around the base of the chainplate, which hopefully would divert water. Any thoughts ?? I am just takign mine off now.

 

[chet p]

5200 !!!

well i just redid the port chainplates... pulled each one out of the boat to check for corrosion(SP) wire brushed them and rebedded them with 5200. My theory is that EVERYBODY TELLS US THAT IF YOU WANT IT TO BE PREMINANT THAN USE 5200. well i don't want mine to leak FOREVER so i guess it should work. so far after redoing the port side NO LEAKS... i plan on doing the starbord side next week and then tune my rig. anybody in the SW florida area have a loos guage i can borrow???

 

[joe daly]

gasket

Bob, it seems like a sensible idea you have,I will be removing my chainplate covers forre-sealing and you are onto a good idea. As long as the sealent will adhere to the rubbermaterial,this should form a decent seal and yet provide removal of plate if needed. Anymoisture getting under the plate will find its way to out and not into the deck.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Gasket idea.

I once had that idea proposed to me, by someone who works for a big rubber company and would make them for me. My concern was mentioned below, that the right sealant for the job might not adhere to the rubber. In my original post I did not mention that this resealing is a temporary measure. The next time the mast is out I will be cutting the coring out from around the chainplates. I will install a new core and seal the chainplate holes so no water can get in and soften the side decks. Maybe by that time I will hear from you guys about the success of the rubber gaskets. And an aside, make sure you check the chainplate attachment at the bulkheads. Some have found very soft wood from the moisture over time.

 

[Bob]

Sealant to rubber

I'm not even sure the sealant has to adhere to the rubber, if the sealant does its job, below the rubber, the rubber sitting on the sealant, and surrounding the chainplates doubles the possibility that there wll be no leaks. If the rubber is under the chainplate cover, and its screwed to the deck, the sealant is totally covered.

 

[Ed]

aft lowers on the 37c

The aft lower chainplates on my 37c did not line up with the load. so when you tighten the shroud you pull at an angle on the chainplate. so i moved mine outboard at the bottom and redrilled them. Both lower aft chain plates were broken! so Look at them before you recalk.

 

[Bob]

Bulkheads

The prior owner had a real problems with the Portside main chainplate. He had a roof leak that he let go for a long time, he repaired the roof leak but never even looked at the bulkhead integrity. He ripped a portion of the bulkhead right out, and he almost lost the mast. I cut the whole bulkhead out and replaced it with 3/4" marine plywood, with a 5/32" oak veneer on both sides of the main bulkheads. I also doubled up all of the bulkheads so now they are 1 1/2" thick and they are epoxied to the old ones, and then glassed to the hull. New 316 stainless 3/8" x 18 bolts, and serrated lock knuts. I hope it works.