E-35 Mk II Back stay chain plate

[Monty Beed]

Getting ready to put my "FREE" 1974 Ericson 35 into the shop for refit. The boat is in really good shape for it's age but I have elected to go through every system. This boat was used primarily for racing but will now be reconfigured for cruising. My question is the back stay mount. All the other chain plates are bolted in and can be easily (relative term) removed, inspected, and repaired if needed. The back stay mount is glassed in. after all these years I am worried about crevise corrosion and the only way to inspect is the cut and grind the old mount out. Not a fun job considering the location. Has anyone ever had a problem with the backstay mount and has anyone ever tackled this job? Thanks

 

[Cory B]

No direct experience...

Friends of ours removed theirs and attached it externally to the back of their boat. They showed the "old" one to me and it wasn't pretty. He didnt' complain it was too much work, but he was the sort that would've relished it if it was. They were repainting the boat, including some glasswork anyway.

Their "new" setup looked much beefier and trustworthy.

 

[Monty Beed]

Not pretty?

I take it there was crevise corrosion? I do not want to bolt an external back stay mount as I really like the clean looks of the current configuration. Looks like there is the need to cut the old one out for inspection. Thanks.

 

[PDX]

convert to double?

You may wish to consider converting to a double chain plate arrangement, which would be easier to tension using a block/tackle arrangement. Garhauer makes an adapter (one into two). I'm sure there are others.

This would involve mounting external chain plates (which you mentioned you did not like the look of).

The glassed in existing chain plate, if its anything like mine (Ericson 30-1) has a ton of glass around it. It forms a sort of hat section in the middle of the transom, strengthening it IMO. I simply left it in place and cut the chain plate off at the top.

As far as corrosion, its a crap shoot. When I cut out the shroud chain plates on my boat (way less glass than the transom) I didn't notice any. Others have experienced it with glassed in plates. There was a thread on here about someone with an E-29 I believe who had actually had a failure.