Thoughts on mast-up chainplate removal?

Maineiac · **Posted:** 15 Dec 2020 11:38

I painted and reinstalled my mast. One of the shrouds (stbd aft) groaned a little much for my taste and the port fwd has a hairline crack leading outboard from it. The boat is on the hard.

I'm going to yank chainplates, mast-up (not for a couple of months). The forward and aft plates look fine. It's the shrouds I want to get at.

I can do this one at a time, inspect, re-install or have new ones fabricated one at a time. Anyone care to comment on this?

jfalsone · **Joined:** 06 Aug 2020 09:02 **Posts:** 142

I would do this: Take two strong lines and secure the ends to the main halyard. If you have eye splices in those lines that would help, otherwise a bowline would be fine. Connect the other ends of those lines to large snap shackes on the toe rail aft of the partner, then back to the primaries where you can take some tension. Then use one (or both) of your jib halyards and secure to the pointy end, maybe through blocks and back to cleats. Now raise the jib halyards then the main halyard as high up as you can and tension the main halyard against the jib halyard(s). You should now have triangulated the forces adequately to stabilize the rig so that you can remove all chainplates, including forestay and backstay. Being on the hard means the only transient loads will come from the wind or an earthquake.

WayneH · **Posted:** 15 Dec 2020 21:13

The riggers in Pensacola suggested pulling the lowers on one side and the upper on the other side.

Then reversing the stays once you get the originals re-installed.

But that was before they spotted the crack in the compound under the mast step. Now we're pulling the mast out. So we will pull all the chainplates at once.

Attachment:

IMG_3853.jpg [ 1.04 MB | Viewed 0 times ]

Oops. it's upside down.

WayneH · **Posted:** 23 Jan 2021 21:08

Well, We've gotten 5 of the six side chainplates out. Still need to get the forward starboard lower chainplate out. But that involves rearranging the boom so we can open the doors and get to the bolts. The boom is inside the boat because our storage room isn't big enough to hold it even diagonally.

The aft lower chainplates need to be replaced. As is evidenced by the aft port lower picture. The starboard one just has a small crack but enough.

Attachment:

File comment: AFT Port lower

Resized_20210123_120234.jpeg [ 352.8 KB | Viewed 0 times ]

Still on our list is the bow chainplate because Hurricane Sally broke off both chocks from the bow cap.

Attachment:

File comment: Bow cap missing it's chocks and part of the starboard metal.

20200918_160003.jpg [ 3.67 MB | Viewed 0 times ]

Maineiac · **Posted:** 24 Jan 2021 12:22

Yeah, that's exactly why I want to pull all of them before I head offshore. I pulled them on an Endeavour 40 years ago, and 5 out of 6 fell apart in my hands, but looked excellent from above with just some streaking below. We've got a manlift in the "DIY" yard I'm in. Can reach the masthead. Rigger is 40 minutes away. Take 2, run to Rockport, they can finish & cut, do it maybe 2 or 3 times and done. Convenient to have that and a big forklift available.

chepakatov · **Joined:** 28 Sep 2015 23:39 **Posts:** 10

I'm getting chainplates looked at shortly on a T37 deep keel. The shipwright was asking me whether it's ok to rest the boat on the the keel when its on the hardstand. It's the first time I've had it out on the hard, and I'm not really sure—could anyone help me? (or maybe I post this in a new topic?)

Maineiac · **Posted:** 27 Jan 2021 07:59

It should sit on the keel with six jack or brownell stands around the hull and a bowstand. It should neither be "suspended" by the stands, nor should all the weight be carried by the keel. Balance it out. The hull is balsa cored and fiberglass, and either scenario outside of common sense balanced support could (but often won't) cause undue focused stresses. The hull/keel is designed for the buoyancy of being in the water. But many, many yards don't clearly understand the concept. My yard, if there is a stand "in the way" of cramming in another boat, will take a sledge hammer to a stand to relieve it and move it. I've come to the yard and found stands under my boat that I could lift out. Never re-tightened after being moved, chains all removed. The first time I looked at the boat before I bought it, it had 2 stands on one side, one on the other far aft, no chains and no bow stand. I refused to climb the ladder. It's up to the owner to "attempt" to "educate," but that can be taken the wrong way. Vent over. Need to get out of that yard.

chepakatov · **Joined:** 28 Sep 2015 23:39 **Posts:** 10

Many thanks Maineiac!

WayneH · **Posted:** 28 Jan 2021 17:52

Here's my boat currently on the hard. There are two wood blocks fore and aft on the keel that are hard to see. All the outboard stands have chains between them to prevent them from shifting.

Attachment:

IMG_20201115_110525961_HDR.jpg [ 4.09 MB | Viewed 0 times ]

Maineiac · **Posted:** 28 Jan 2021 19:37

I block high enough to get at the centerboard. I've got the routine down. It just galls me when they stick a 1 x 3" piece of oak or something on top of the larger blocking. All that does is increase the pressure per square inch on the fiberglass immensely. And I have no idea why they all post upside down. Click on it and it's right side up.

Tartan37.com

Thoughts on mast-up chainplate removal?

Who is online