Chainplates

[dee.yeah]

Last weekend my Y25's starboard upper-shroud chainplate broke while it was on genoa sail only, in just about 13kt wind.

Luckily the mast didn't snap, though I'm planning to step it down for a detailed check.

I am going to fix/replace it, as well as all the other chainplates. I'll share the info here as the work progress later.

 

[furdui]

dee.yeah,i'm glad it did not give you bigger problems.
in my post 'horror',27.06.2011,and others,page 1,you can see the way i did it.
i've supported the crossbeam because the top,long bolt was hard to come out and i was afraid the crossbeam will drop a bit,creating further problems.

 

[dee.yeah]

Furdui,

Today I managed to remove both through deck chainplates. I removed the main and furling genoa, and reduce the upper shroud tension before hammering out the top long bolts. But I didn't do any extra support to the crossbeam, though I put the long bolts back in after removing the chainplates.

I noticed the on deck plate is just a guard for the through deck chainplate. Now all I need is to replace the new chain plates.

 

[dee.yeah]

Finally had my upper shroud chainplates replaced. It was my first time working with stainless steel, the drilling and cutting work all looks much easier than doing!!

After having the upper shrouds properly attached to the new chainplates, I start removing the chainplates of the lower shrouds. All are rusty, but fortunately the rust is still on the surface. The chainplates can be reused, while the bolts need to be replaced.

Next week will check the forestay and backstay chainplates, while the boat is de-masted.

 

[dee.yeah]

Chainplates again!

Having thoroughly inspected (thanks to my wife!) the lower shrouds chainplates, cracks from inside out are found on 2 of them. I will change all of them for safety reason. However, the "vertical" plate (directly in contact with shroud) of the original ones are at certain angle with the "horizontal" plate (directly attach to deck) instead of right angle. I suppose they are specially made to compensate the slopeing deck.

If I simple replace them with normal chainplates, would it be a concern?

[Edited] Add a couple of pics of the old and new chainplates.

 

[furdui]

dee.yeah,the angle is a MUST!!!!,for equally distributing the load from lower shroud to the fibreglass,otherwise the load is transmited to the fibreglass only through lower edge of plate and the upper two bolts will be stretched.

aren't we lucky to have our wives as advisers in boats matters?,my wife,when I bought the boat,said simplyON'T BUY THE DAMN THING!

good luck

btw,have you checked the chainplate for forestay,if that breaks,it comes out with a piece of deck as well !!!

 

[dee.yeah]

furdui, that's what I thought on balancing the load to the deck too. But making these angled chainplates takes time and effort, well I'm lazy.

As a pair of normal chainplates have been installed to replace the cracked ones, I guess I'll keep it for the moment so that I can put up the mast as scheduled. There is a lot of work on the mast too, so I better be focused. But I'll put minimal tension on them (luckily they are lower back shrouds!), and won't put up sail until they're all properly changed.

As for the front chainplate, I've removed, inspected and refit it. It holds up just well, because I guess it has been refit last time the furler was installed. That part of fiber has been reinforced, and I added a backing plate to it.

Haha, maybe your wife was right - she might be just jealous that you spend so much time with the boat! ;-)

 

[furdui]

I would make a wooden wedge,hard wood or marine ply,same size as the plate or even larger,with similar holes as the plate,and place it between plate and fibreglass in order to bring the lug in line with the shroud.you may need longer bolts in the upper side.
simon

 

[dee.yeah]

That's a good advice! It should be much easier and cheaper too. ;-)

Thanks!