Mast support without upper shroud

[tremellose]

I have an 1974 e27 and my starboard spreader bracket is broken.

I am wondering if it is safe to go aloft to remove the bracket and spreader so that I can take in the broken pieces to be either used as a mold or to have it welded.

What this would entail is having the upper shroud eased.

Is the support from the two lower shrouds on the starboard side enough?

I would also appreciate any thoughts or information about this replacement project. Another thought I had was to get a couple of new sets of brackets and spreaders that would attach to my mast but I'm not sure how to determine what I would need and where to get it.

Thanks for any guidance.

 

[Emerald]

I don't think you can do this safely aka, what's your life worth? The spreaders tension/hold the uppers at the correct position - if you remove the spreader, you'll upset the rig, and I don't think you'll have enough movement in your turnbuckle to tighten the upper with the spreader missing, even if you want to risk the load angles. Also, the tangs that hold the lowers are on the same through bolt - you can't remove just one set of lowers - if you unbolt one side, the other side comes loose at the same time. Bottom line is you probably should drop the mast. Just my two cents - perhaps one of our riggers will know a trick.

One last thought. Do you have dimples in the mast where the spreader brackets attach? This is somewhat common on E-27s, and can be repaired (did this on my prior E-27).

 

[jkenan]

You are talking about a significant repair/modification to the mast, aloft, where welding or other tooling is required. You really ought to unstep the mast so those areas are easily accessible. Unstepping the mast is not a terribly expensive propostion, maybe $200 or so to take it down AND put it back up. While it's down, you can inspect it, fit the new parts, work/weld/etc without having to climb it each time. You also really want to know why it failed, and take a good close look at the other spreader to see if it is on brink too.

 

[Rob Hessenius]

Tremellose~
Here are some pictures of the replacement spreaders and brackets I purchased from Dwyers Spar.

 

[Rob Hessenius]

Tremellose~

Here is a page link to Dwyer spreaders and brackets. You will need two spreaders (DH2503) and one (DH2333-p) and one (DH2333-s), these are port and starboard mounting brackets.

http://www.dwyermast.com/items.asp?...=57&familyName=Spreaders+&+Brackets+(Airfoil)

In my search these were the best replacement parts out there for my mast, which a E27's is almost identical. IMHO this retro fit is far superior to the cast bracket mounts that were original to our spars. The cast brackets are so brittle and prone to breakage while the mast is down. Here is a link to my story

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=7448

And, Please have the mast lowered to perform this work!!!

 

[tremellose]

One last thought. Do you have dimples in the mast where the spreader brackets attach? This is somewhat common on E-27s, and can be repaired (did this on my prior E-27).

Yes it does have dimples, on both sides. How did you repair the dimples?

 

[tremellose]

You are talking about a significant repair/modification to the mast, aloft, where welding or other tooling is required. You really ought to unstep the mast so those areas are easily accessible. Unstepping the mast is not a terribly expensive propostion, maybe $200 or so to take it down AND put it back up. While it's down, you can inspect it, fit the new parts, work/weld/etc without having to climb it each time. You also really want to know why it failed, and take a good close look at the other spreader to see if it is on brink too.

Thank you for the advice. Along with the other comments suggesting the mast be unstepped, I think I will go that route - besides, internally, there is also the slapping antenna cable that I would like to harness down.

 

[tremellose]

And, Please have the mast lowered to perform this work!!!

I was speaking with a fellow ericson owner this morning down at the harbour (I'm at French Creek Harbour in Parksville, BC on Vancouver Island) and he felt that it was manageable without unstepping by using a spare halyard (it would be the jib halyard) to add starboard side support.

I am relatively new to sailboats and I have had it in my mind that unstepping the mast would be an overwhelming project for me. I'll take a read of your story and do some reading of other posts on the subject.

Is unstepping the mast with removing all the stays a job that someone with no experience should consider undertaking? I suppose I would never get the experience unless I do it though.

 

[tremellose]

Thank you all for the quick responses; as I am down at the boat full-time right now, without internet access, my responses may be delayed until the end of the following day.

 

[Emerald]

Yes it does have dimples, on both sides. How did you repair the dimples?

I made a collar with the help of a well known local rigger. Here's a link to a page on my website with a blow by blow description of what I did:

http://home.comcast.net/~ericson-yachts/dimple/dimple_repair.html

Hope this helps.

 

[jkenan]

I am relatively new to sailboats and I have had it in my mind that unstepping the mast would be an overwhelming project for me.

Is unstepping the mast with removing all the stays a job that someone with no experience should consider undertaking? I suppose I would never get the experience unless I do it though.

Unstepping the mast is probably one of the more simple things you will get into if you stick with sailboat ownership over the long haul. Doing this will teach you more about your own boat, and knowing your boat is a requisite for good seamanship. The yard can handle everything, but since you're paying by the man-hour, you can save money by loosening turnbuckles, pulling cotter pins ALMOST all the way out of clevis pins (which are securing stays to chainplates) - you don't want to pull them all the way out for risk of clevis pin coming out and destablizing the mast. You also want to remove all sails, boom, and organize your running rigging so nothing is attached to deck (and is all secured to the mast). This way, once the yard has control over your spar, all you have to do is pull cotter pins the rest of the way out, remove clevis pins, and loosly tie stays against the mast.

I respectfully disagree with your friend who suggests this work can be done aloft. Even if the spar can be reasonably stablized, you are likely going up and down many, many times to get the job done, which is risky in and of itself, not to mention the probability of dropping something important (and hitting someone, loosing it in the water, and damaging your deck).

Are you doing this work yourself or having it done?

 

[tremellose]

Here is a link to my story

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?t=7448

And, Please have the mast lowered to perform this work!!!

Rob, thanks for the link to your story; one of the replies suggest that it may have been the mast that broke first due to fatigue. The mast on "Kindred Spirit" has a slight bend aft and to port at the top. It has been this way for months (I have not sailed with it) is there a way to check the integrity of the spar? Or do you feel the integrity of the spar was not in question?

Thanks for your help, and to all the other replies, it is somewhat of a relief to have this support!

 

[tremellose]

Are you doing this work yourself or having it done?

Yes, I will be doing the work myself - thank you for the guidance; I think I'll be sitting down now and reviewing all the things I need to consider per all of suggestions and ideas that you all have provided; I'll come back with my plan and ask that it be reviewed for accuracy and completeness; then I'll go talk to the yard about having it pulled.

I am truly grateful for all your help everyone.

 

[tremellose]

I made a collar with the help of a well known local rigger. Here's a link to a page on my website with a blow by blow description of what I did:

http://home.comcast.net/~ericson-yachts/dimple/dimple_repair.html

Hope this helps.

Thanks! I'll be including this in the project plan and will seek others input on the idea - It seems that it would answer my question about the integrity of the spar by adding support to the area where metal fatigue would occur.

Regards,

Trevor
"Kindred Spirit"

 

[Rob Hessenius]

Tremellose~

DO NOT GO UP THAT MAST WITHOUT ALL OF THE STANDING RIGGING SAFE AND SOUND!!!

 

[Rob Hessenius]

Tremellose~

My mast broke because my starboard spreader broke free, not fatigue. Your mast is crooked because it in not properly tuned. You just need to adjust the stays correctly when you get your issues of the spreader taken care of.

Here is a link on youtube that shows a very slick way to raise and lower your mast on your own very safely with the help of one other person. I built this A-frame this past spring and raised my mast effortlessly. I have not lowered it yet, but I'm sure it will be easier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpFhnYQmRYs