mast spreader
- Thread starter tjelle1946
- Start date
I have a spreader light (port) that never worked and now (after some
pretty rough but not unusually so sailing) has all but fallen from the
spreader - it's dangling by its electric wires. I looked at the
spreader through binoculars and it appears that there are some
studs/bolts that should hold the light to a concave shaped piece of
metal - maybe these bolts have broken off. Much worse, though, there
seems to be a crack in the spreader itself, close to where it attaches
to the mast. I can make it wiggle forth and back by pulling on the
stay going through it, while the starboard one seems to be firm in
place. Obviously, I'll have to do something here. I might be able to
get the boat next to a seawall where I could reach the spreader from a
ladder (at least at low tide) without having to bring the mast down (I
know from the discussions in this group that this is possible but it
doesn't sound very easy, especially on the water). But before doing
this, I was wondering whether you can advise me as to what I'll
probably need ahead of time to do the job right. Are there any
replacement pieces for the spreader? Can one "strengthen" it by
putting some sleave over it? and what parts will I likely need for the
light? (I don't know whether it is standard for Vegas - it looks like
a "GE" car light.) Any suggestions would be helpful...
Thanks - Sebastian (V1060)
pretty rough but not unusually so sailing) has all but fallen from the
spreader - it's dangling by its electric wires. I looked at the
spreader through binoculars and it appears that there are some
studs/bolts that should hold the light to a concave shaped piece of
metal - maybe these bolts have broken off. Much worse, though, there
seems to be a crack in the spreader itself, close to where it attaches
to the mast. I can make it wiggle forth and back by pulling on the
stay going through it, while the starboard one seems to be firm in
place. Obviously, I'll have to do something here. I might be able to
get the boat next to a seawall where I could reach the spreader from a
ladder (at least at low tide) without having to bring the mast down (I
know from the discussions in this group that this is possible but it
doesn't sound very easy, especially on the water). But before doing
this, I was wondering whether you can advise me as to what I'll
probably need ahead of time to do the job right. Are there any
replacement pieces for the spreader? Can one "strengthen" it by
putting some sleave over it? and what parts will I likely need for the
light? (I don't know whether it is standard for Vegas - it looks like
a "GE" car light.) Any suggestions would be helpful...
Thanks - Sebastian (V1060)
Hi Sebastian
We have had amny of these spreader ends (hounds) crack after many years. I
have
these in stock and they come complete with attachment pins. Easy to fit. I
have
shipped them all over as they do not weigh very much. The price is £21 each
and
the carriage is £3.50 for one or two.
Kind Regards
Steve Birch
At 01:23 05/05/03 +0000, you wrote:
We have had amny of these spreader ends (hounds) crack after many years. I
have
these in stock and they come complete with attachment pins. Easy to fit. I
have
shipped them all over as they do not weigh very much. The price is £21 each
and
the carriage is £3.50 for one or two.
Kind Regards
Steve Birch
At 01:23 05/05/03 +0000, you wrote:
I am not sure if I feel comfortable going up in a bosun's chair with a
questionable spreader unless it was an emergency. I would try to inspect from
shore but if one site is funky what about other pieces of the mast. I would
opt for a drop of the mast and through inspection/repair of the systems. Its
easier and cheaper than dealing with a mast in the water.
Paul H.
"Double Fantasy"
Bangor Me.
questionable spreader unless it was an emergency. I would try to inspect from
shore but if one site is funky what about other pieces of the mast. I would
opt for a drop of the mast and through inspection/repair of the systems. Its
easier and cheaper than dealing with a mast in the water.
Paul H.
"Double Fantasy"
Bangor Me.
Paul, Where do you sail? I presume not in the Penobscot River. I lived in
Orono, and, being a college student, enjoyed the Bangor Pubs and dated
Bangor women. When I graduated, I said; "Anyone who is cold when he doesn't
have to be is a fool", and left town. Now I sail in Nova Scotia, which maybe
says something about my own intelligence.
Mort
Orono, and, being a college student, enjoyed the Bangor Pubs and dated
Bangor women. When I graduated, I said; "Anyone who is cold when he doesn't
have to be is a fool", and left town. Now I sail in Nova Scotia, which maybe
says something about my own intelligence.
Mort
Stephen, (hounds?) I have rubber type boots over the ends of my spreaders and they have no lights of any color on them nor electrical wires.I wrap them with white electrical tape.They'er just a buffer so the sails don't chafe on the spreaders. Am I missing something in the conversation?
Dave
The Lastgasp V3233
Dave
The Lastgasp V3233
Hi to all of you who have responded to my "spreader" question. First of
all, I enjoyed the humerous banter about the bosun chair (and I
understand why Wilhelm's humor may be a bit dark right now). However,
my main question was not how to GET at the spreader, but rather what I
will likely need to fix my problem(s) with it.
Just to try making this as clear as possible (I am neither a native
speaker nor an "old salt" with all the proper nautical terms at my
fingertips):
What I am talking about is the actual piece of aluminum (spar?) which
makes up the length of the spreader. It seems to be attached to a
sleave (out of some darker material - cast iron?) on the mast at one
end, with pins or bolts, and it is THAT end that is cracked. The other
end of course is where the stay runs through - it might well be there
is another piece to it which surrounds the stay to reduce any sharp
bends, but I can't tell since the previous owner wrapped lots and lots
of some white tape around this end and the stay (on both sides). I
definitely need some replacement for the spreader (the aluminum part),
but I was wondering what else I might need to put it in place.
The spreader light is attached to the spreader roughly halfway between
the mast and the stay. I guess it's not a standard item on Vegas, so
I'll just have to take my chances with it (I can always take it off for
now and do a thorough job reattaching it when I have the mast down,
maybe this fall when I plan to take her out of the water).
Greetings to y'all - Sebastian
all, I enjoyed the humerous banter about the bosun chair (and I
understand why Wilhelm's humor may be a bit dark right now). However,
my main question was not how to GET at the spreader, but rather what I
will likely need to fix my problem(s) with it.
Just to try making this as clear as possible (I am neither a native
speaker nor an "old salt" with all the proper nautical terms at my
fingertips):
What I am talking about is the actual piece of aluminum (spar?) which
makes up the length of the spreader. It seems to be attached to a
sleave (out of some darker material - cast iron?) on the mast at one
end, with pins or bolts, and it is THAT end that is cracked. The other
end of course is where the stay runs through - it might well be there
is another piece to it which surrounds the stay to reduce any sharp
bends, but I can't tell since the previous owner wrapped lots and lots
of some white tape around this end and the stay (on both sides). I
definitely need some replacement for the spreader (the aluminum part),
but I was wondering what else I might need to put it in place.
The spreader light is attached to the spreader roughly halfway between
the mast and the stay. I guess it's not a standard item on Vegas, so
I'll just have to take my chances with it (I can always take it off for
now and do a thorough job reattaching it when I have the mast down,
maybe this fall when I plan to take her out of the water).
Greetings to y'all - Sebastian
Hi Dave
The hounds are the bits of alloy that go against the mast. They are cast in
alloy and are attached to the end of the spreader that goes against the
mast. After 30 odd years quite a few are now cracking so I have been
supplying these for the last four years (sold over fifty!).
Kind Regards
Steve birchAt 11:30 05/05/03 -0800, you wrote:
The hounds are the bits of alloy that go against the mast. They are cast in
alloy and are attached to the end of the spreader that goes against the
mast. After 30 odd years quite a few are now cracking so I have been
supplying these for the last four years (sold over fifty!).
Kind Regards
Steve birchAt 11:30 05/05/03 -0800, you wrote:
Hi, Sebastian:
Another possible "fix" is to: unstep the mast, remove the starboard
'hound'. Look in your phone book yellow pages for "FOUNDRIES". Take the
'good' hound to them and see if they can reproduce it. It may be a
lower-cost fix.
I did this a few years ago. Not very expensive at all. I did have to
drill the pivot hole myself, but that was not really a problem. While I was
at it, I had an extra one made.
Best of luck..................Ed
Another possible "fix" is to: unstep the mast, remove the starboard
'hound'. Look in your phone book yellow pages for "FOUNDRIES". Take the
'good' hound to them and see if they can reproduce it. It may be a
lower-cost fix.
I did this a few years ago. Not very expensive at all. I did have to
drill the pivot hole myself, but that was not really a problem. While I was
at it, I had an extra one made.
Best of luck..................Ed
When I re-rigged Lealea, I found that the spreader bases were cracked. I took them to the rigger at the boat yard and he welded them and re machined them to fit. When he gave them back he said to me "Lucky they used such high quality aluminum in these. I could never have repaired them otherwise."
Chuck
SaylerEd@... wrote:
Chuck
SaylerEd@... wrote: