Spreader bar and mast repair O'Day 272 LE

[jkarstena]

Hi everyone.

I have a 1987 O'Day 272 LE with, I believe, a Z60 spreader bar set. I noticed that one of the rivets has pulled itself out of the mast and many of the other rivets have come loose on both sides. I am pondering on the correct method to repair this problem. I am looking for a permanent, best practices solution baring replacing a mast. There is minimal corrosion if any, and the hole is slightly enlarged where the rivet pulled out.

I have some experience with metal work and other related fields, but that is no replacement for the wealth of experience that I hope to tap into on this forum. I can post pictures if they are necessary.

 

[dLj]

Let's get some decent photos please.

dj

 

[jkarstena]

Alright. I added some photos. I drilled out/removed some of the offending fasteners already. Let me know your thoughts. I also added some photos of the otherside for reference.

 

[dLj]

Looks like the original rivets were aluminum, is that correct?

I'd look into monel rivets slightly larger then the current rivets and re-rivet the supports. If you can't find the right size monel rivets get good stainless rivets.

dj

 

[jkarstena]

Looks like the original rivets were aluminum, is that correct?

I'd look into monel rivets slightly larger then the current rivets and re-rivet the supports. If you can't find the right size monel rivets get good stainless rivets.

dj

Im not sure. They seemed harder than aluminum, but my drill bits are also very old. The current hole size is .230. A 7/32 rivet would be perfect but I haven't found any in monel. Would i have to worry about galvanic corrosion with a SS rivet?

 

[dLj]

Im not sure. They seemed harder than aluminum, but my drill bits are also very old. The current hole size is .230. A 7/32 rivet would be perfect but I haven't found any in monel. Would i have to worry about galvanic corrosion with a SS rivet?

They might have used stainless rivets originally.

Might try Selden

Pop Rivets in Monel

Secure fittings with durable Monel pop rivets from Seldén. This collection includes countersunk and dome head options. Ideal for mounting hardware on aluminum spars and preventing galvanic corrosion. Trusted by riggers for strength and longevity in demanding marine environments.

shop-us.seldenmast.com

If you do go with stainless, take tefgel and coat the rivet and hole.

dj

 

[Indysailor]

It looks like you're in Utah, sailing freshwater. If you can only find stainless, unless you plan on moving it to some coastal location, then the galvanic corrosion risk may not be high.

 

[jssailem]

I would find the correctly sized rivet. Insert it. Test that the connection is sound. Put the mast up and go sailing.

If you're sailing your boat at all, then the stresses of sailing the boat will eventually wear on all the fittings. You did a great job inspecting the boat and finding that the rivet was gone. Keep doing that each time you go out. The process will keep you safe and let you enjoy the experiences that you receive from having a boat.

 

[dLj]

I'll just add, if they used aluminum rivets originally, and they might have thinking about dissimilar metals. Your brackets look like aluminum and the mast is aluminum. Aluminum rivers tend to work loose over time. Pretty sure it was Thinwater that did a study on rivets vs screws and found that to be the case.

Monel is really excellent material but as you know, can be hard to find. Stainless can produce galvanic corrosion but coating the hole and the rivet pretty much cures that. As someone pointed out above, since you are sailing in fresh water it's not such a concern. But it's up to you how best to fix this. I'd make sure the holes are cleaned up and you use a river that matches the hole size you now have, or end up with. Don't use a rivet that's too short.

dj

 

[rgranger]

Going up one size in the rivet is easy and quick. Lowe's and Home Depot both sell rivets of various sizes. That is probably all you need to do. If you do wish to fill in a blown out hole (or crack) JB Weld is magic stuff. Fill the hole, let it cure, drill out a new hole....