• Untitled Document

    Join us on March 29rd, 7pm EST

    for the CBEC Virtual Meeting

    All EYO members and followers are welcome to join the fun and get to know the guest speaker!

    See the link below for login credentials and join us!

    March Meeting Info

    (dismiss this notice by hitting 'X', upper right)

Bow Stem Problems?

MarkA

Please Contact Admin.
I was on the bow this morning, and noticed that the metal bow stem moves fore and aft when I jiggle the forestay. I hadn't noticed this before, but I didn't look, either. The gel coat cracks in the area have not changed since I bought the boat 14 months ago, so I don't think this is a recent phenomenon.

Is this normal? -- or is my urge to vomit justified?

Where can I find some design drawings so I can see how this part is attached to the boat?

Is there anyone in the San Pedro, CA area you would recommend to inspect this?

DSCN1056.jpg
 
Last edited:

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
I am not certain about the design, but I would take the screws out and inspect underneath. It may need some "coaxing" to get those screws out.

The forestay chainplate doesn't move, does it? I think that would be much more worrisome. Perhaps the bowplate just needs to be re-bedded.
 

MarkA

Please Contact Admin.
Thanks, Keith.

See that hunk of metal sticking out of my foredeck? The one with the forestay attached? That's what moves.

Looking underneath, and in the chain locker, I can't tell where it's fastened to the hull or deck. There are no screws or bolts to check.

Is anyone familiar with this design?
 

Emerald

Moderator
That hunk of metal is called a "tang". On at least the Independence 31, the shroud and backstay tangs are fiberglassed into the hull. There is a good chance yours is also. It could have bolts through it, but it should be obvious. If it is loose, it needs immediate attention by someone knowledgeable, regardless of how it is fastened. I would not be comfortable sailing this boat until you have a qualified rigger inspect it. This is repairable.
 
Last edited:

MarkA

Please Contact Admin.
Thanks, David!

Can anyone recommend someone in the San Pedro/Long Beach area to look at this?
 

gareth harris

Sustaining Member
Can you see anything on the underside at all? Is there any stainless steel hidden behind glass? That is the key to figuring out where the problem lies. Note that the deck at that point no doubt has plywood coring, which will have softened due to water intrusion over the years, and may be part of the problem. Can you post a picture of the underside?


If you have not noticed the forestay losing tension, then catasrophic failure should not be imminent; but I agree with the others that you want to deal with it sooner rather than later, and it is definitely a job for a professional to supervise.

Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
 
Last edited:

Bob in Va

Member III
Hidden problems

I don't know if it is applicable in this case, but there was mention some time ago of an Ericson that lost the rig because of fatigue/crevice corrosion in the forestay tang. In the smaller Ericsons this tang is separate from the stem fitting that is bolted to the deck just aft of it. That never made sense to me - why not tie both pieces together, so that if one fails the other becomes a backup? To have a stainless tang running up the bow, then angling back to take the loads from the forestay just seems to be asking for trouble. Wouldn't prudent design call for chainplates to be in line with the anticipated load, and bolted perpendicularly to the load, so that there is minimal likeliehood of the metal "working", hardening, and eventually fatigueing?
 
Top