I am looking at buying a 1986 Cal 28 and after looking at where the shrouds come through the deck I have found that there is a small block of stainless bolted under the deck and rod comes through it. Then the rod goes through a piece of teak shelf that runs along the side of the hull. Under the teak there is about a 3 inch space with a stack of washers and then fiberglass under those. Under the fiberglass there is a lug or nut that screws up on the threaded rod to tighten the shroud. The teak on top and the fiberglass on the bottom of the washers are wallowed out and you can see the washers. This makes the rod of the shroud below the deck loose. Do you have any suggestions how this may be fixed? Thanks. George
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Two Ways
The first way may simply be to have a rigger check the shroud tension and leave it alone. The second way is to remove the entire assembly and epoxy the holes closed, the re-drill them, if I understand you correctly. It may be helpful to take some digital pix and post one to help us get a fix on it. RD
The first way may simply be to have a rigger check the shroud tension and leave it alone. The second way is to remove the entire assembly and epoxy the holes closed, the re-drill them, if I understand you correctly. It may be helpful to take some digital pix and post one to help us get a fix on it. RD
Shrouds
If it is like my O'35 the lower shrouds are set up with rods from the hull pan structure to run the loads down to the hull and not to the deck. This is a very good structure for the rig as there is no tendency to pull up the deck and distort it. The manual with my boat describes how to adjust these rods for proper loading. If you have a manual see what it says. Cal near the end was owned by O'Day so the design might be very similar. Dave
If it is like my O'35 the lower shrouds are set up with rods from the hull pan structure to run the loads down to the hull and not to the deck. This is a very good structure for the rig as there is no tendency to pull up the deck and distort it. The manual with my boat describes how to adjust these rods for proper loading. If you have a manual see what it says. Cal near the end was owned by O'Day so the design might be very similar. Dave
Should be able to tighten the nut
George, I have a 1988 Cal 28. As noted by Dave the rod and associated structure below the deck are there to prevent all of the shroud loading from being applied to the deck itself. It sounds like in your situation right now all of the load is on the deck if there is looseness in the rod with the mast stepped. A rigger would best be able to adjust the rig safely but essentially I believe you want to get the rod just snug with no load on the shroud (ie before you step the mast). Then when the mast is stepped and the shroud is loaded, any small deflection in the deck upwards will be countered by and distributed into the rod and surrounding hull structure.
George, I have a 1988 Cal 28. As noted by Dave the rod and associated structure below the deck are there to prevent all of the shroud loading from being applied to the deck itself. It sounds like in your situation right now all of the load is on the deck if there is looseness in the rod with the mast stepped. A rigger would best be able to adjust the rig safely but essentially I believe you want to get the rod just snug with no load on the shroud (ie before you step the mast). Then when the mast is stepped and the shroud is loaded, any small deflection in the deck upwards will be countered by and distributed into the rod and surrounding hull structure.
use a rigger for this one
There are round access plugs for these nuts behind the settee cushions, so it should be a simple matter to adjust the rods from below, but if you're not experienced with the boat I would suggest asking your surveyor to simply inspect the assembly for structural soundness above and below decks and then have a rigger do your adjustments after you buy. This assembly on this particular boat is usually very sound and I wouldn't expect you to find and water penetration damage at the deck fitting, so the suggestion of removing and redrilling, etc., is the last idea to be thinking about...
There are round access plugs for these nuts behind the settee cushions, so it should be a simple matter to adjust the rods from below, but if you're not experienced with the boat I would suggest asking your surveyor to simply inspect the assembly for structural soundness above and below decks and then have a rigger do your adjustments after you buy. This assembly on this particular boat is usually very sound and I wouldn't expect you to find and water penetration damage at the deck fitting, so the suggestion of removing and redrilling, etc., is the last idea to be thinking about...
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