Just bought Catalina 310; worried about welded spreader base

Muttondressedaslamb

Muttondressedaslamb

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Nov 24, 2014
159
Catalina 310 Staten Island
After 45 years of sailing, I finally broke down, at my wife's insistence and bought a real cruising boat; a 2003 Catalina 310 with in mast furling in excellent condition. One difference I noticed between our boat and an otherwise identical 310 with conventional main is that the spreader bases on our boat were welded to the mast, rather than bolted and/or riveted. Is this likely to be a weak point? What concerns me is the experience I had years ago when I was an avid mountain biker. I have seen a number of failures in aluminum bike frames occurring at the welds. This happened to me in a Cannondale bike I once owner, hence the moniker, "cracknfail". Anyone have any input?
 
SawyerCurt

SawyerCurt

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Dec 16, 2011
257
Catalina 310 Atlantic Highlands
I'm not sure how everyone else's is configured, but I have a 2001 (hull #48) and my spreaders are are not welded to the mast. If they were, I'd have trouble storing the mast next to my boat over the winter, as my marina tends to stack the boats pretty closely together and there isn't room for my spreaders to remain attached to the mast and I have to disconnect them for the winter.
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
are the spreader brackets welded to the mast and then the spreaders themselves pinned to the brackets..if so that will give you the flex you need ...if they are welded totally i would be concerned ...these things have to have flexibility....rigid is not always the answer as these things need to find there own sweet spot when adjusting the shrouds .......
 
Muttondressedaslamb

Muttondressedaslamb

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Nov 24, 2014
159
Catalina 310 Staten Island
SawyerCurt said:
I'm not sure how everyone else's is configured, but I have a 2001 (hull #48) and my spreaders are are not welded to the mast. If they were, I'd have trouble storing the mast next to my boat over the winter, as my marina tends to stack the boats pretty closely together and there isn't room for my spreaders to remain attached to the mast and I have to disconnect them for the winter.
Click to expand
I Think I was misunderstood. The spreader bases are welded to the mast, which is often the case with boats with in mast furling. the spreaders go over the bases in a male/female matter with a clevis pin passing through both
 
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