E25 CB - misc. deck hardware/standing rigging tweaks advice

[klb67pgh]

I’ve been building my winter to-do list for my E25 I acquired in August and will haul out this weekend, and could use some guidance.

Stanchion, bow pulpit, and stern rail feet to upright attachments:

My stanchions, bow pulpit, and stern rail have stand-alone feet, and the uprights are attached with a single stainless screw (I assume this is factory?). The feet are well bedded, some with backing plates, and do not flex, but there is slop in the joint between the feet and the uprights in most locations. I replaced several of the screws with new screws with cleaner threads that tightened up the joints a bit, but not completely. I don’t like the wiggle, and would like to address the slop. As I see it, I should either get someone to weld the joint, or I should drill and add another fastener, perhaps an allen set screw, installed 90 degrees from the existing screw. Or try replacing the stainless screw with a stainless rivet. Thoughts? Other solutions?





Back stay removal:

Attached is a picture of the attachment between the back stay and the split adjustable back stay. I acquired and intend to add a 2 bow bimini mounted on the stern rail. The back stay must pass through the bimini. I’d like to replace the joint in this pic (clevis pin and split pin) with something that can be disconnected in order to pass the back stay through the bimini as needed when deploying the bimini (I’d like to store the bimini collected and upright/angled, behind the back stay). I see replacement options as clevis pin and hairpin (potentially not secure enough for a back stay), or a shackle. I have quick release pins at the base of each of the stays that I plan to replace with clevis pins and split pins (I see no need and lots of downside for quick release at that location). I don’t know that I trust the ball-lok release for the back stay joint. What options am I missing? Note I plan to add a topping lift and will cleat the mainsheet before I disconnect the backstay.



Thanks in advance for your advice. I have another advice request I'll save for a future post when I get better pics.

Kevin

 

[Christian Williams]

Slop not uncommon with pulpits. I would wrap tube end with stainless shim material--looks like aluminum foil, various stiffness available. That ought to do it.

Precision Brand Products 22881 316 Stainless Steel Shim Stock, 0.001" x 6" x 12" (Pack of 2): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Precision Brand Products 22881 316 Stainless Steel Shim Stock, 0.001" x 6" x 12" (Pack of 2): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

 

[klb67pgh]

Slop not uncommon with pulpits. I would wrap tube end with stainless shim material--looks like aluminum foil, various stiffness available. That ought to do it.

Stainless shim material? Huh. Didn't know there was such a think - thank you!

I'm sure you get this a lot, but I truly enjoy your Youtube offerings.

 

[frick]

on my e 29, i removed the topping lift and replaced it with a vigid boom vang... I also have a pig tail off the backstay to clip to the end of the boom

 

[klb67pgh]

I ordered an 8" x 12" sheet of .006" 316 stainless shim stock from McMaster-Carr for all of $12, and .004" for a bit less. Today I added one thickness of .006 stainless shim material 2" tall to each of the bases on my stern rail. After adding just the first shim, I tried the fit and was rather impressed with how stiff the rail became. I added a small portion of a wrap to 2 of the legs to fine tune the fit and it's like a new railing. I can't wait to do the bow pulpit and each of the stanchions. I love simple and cheap fixes. Thanks again.

 

[gabriel]

I don’t see the problem with using quick releases on the backstay of this boat, the stay is split and the chances of losing BOTH quick releases at the same time are slim to say the least. Once the rig is tensioned I don’t the the quick releases would come out even if you tried!

 

[Jonathan G.]

For the backstay, one major factor to consider is that it should have a lot of tension on it. For a masthead rig like the E25, it's not only keeping the mast up, but also putting tension on the forestay to eliminate sag, affecting the center of effort and improving the boat's ability to point into the wind. What that means in practical terms is that each time you deploy or stow the bimini, you'll need to crank on the turnbuckle a bunch to release the tension before you can remove and replace the clevis pin, then crank it again to re-tension it. A bit of rigging tape wrapped around the threads is sufficient to mark the spot for proper re-tensioning, but it's still time-consuming, and works against you should you need to stow the bimini in a hurry for some reason.

For convenience, you might consider a CS Johnson quick-release lever, like in this video:

Of course, this will require shortening the upper leg of the backstay to accommodate the length of the quick release lever.

Either way you do it, my inclination is toward a bimini-style locking pin, with a lanyard, to replace the clevis pin. There's nothing quite like the sound of "clink-clink-clink-sploop" as the dropped clevis pin goes overboard, leaving you suddenly without a backstay.

 

[klb67pgh]

Jonathan and Gabriel - thanks for your thoughts. I mentioned having an adjustable backstay, but didn't include a picture, which I should have. Here is a picture facing aft from before I acquired my Ericson, showing the rest of the backstay that wasn't shown in my earlier picture. I have a nice adjusting car system and can tension the stay with the fiddle block system on the port side. Each of the legs of the stay are attached to the transom chain plates with ball lok quick release pins, and I'll probably keep those. This might highlight why I was seeking solutions for a more easily disconnected clevis pin at the top of the system. Currently, I'll have to pull both ball-lok pins (no big deal) and fish this entire system down through the opening in the bimini (doable but a much bigger deal). I'd rather be able to release the system tension, disconnect one pin, and pass the triangle plate through the bimini opening to connect and disconnect the back stay. All assuming there is a proper pin that is appropriate to bear the force of a tensioned back stay and can readily be disconnected but only when desired and not on its own. I wonder about a spring loaded quick release pin with a short lanyard.

 

[Christian Williams]

I would revise the bimini, not the backstay.

Slot in fabric, Velcro, whatever.

 

[Butch Bogan]

Strongly agree with Christian above, the Bimini should have a zipper/velcro flap to go around the stay. Unless you have a trailering boat there should be no quick remove fittings in the standing rigging.

 

[gabriel]

I third what was said above now that I understand exactly what you’re doing...I wouldn’t use a quick release anywhere it’s failure or accidental removal would lead to catastrophic failure like the mast falling (Happened to me a long time I my hobie 18)

ps, your e25 doesn’t have the outboard cutout? Also, that wooden cockpit extension on starboard side, if it’s easily removed, would you be willing to send me a trace of that if I mail you a self addressed envelope?

thanks!

 

[klb67pgh]

Thanks for the feedback - it's why I asked. I guess more precisely I'd like to find a fitting that is secured, but by something more easily disconnected on demand and reconnected than a split pin and clevis pin. The bimini has a zipper and opening to pass the back stay through - it's just less convenient to fish all of the backstay adjustment hardware up over the top and down through it to reconnect. Under the circumstances, I guess I will probably just leave the bimini frame up, perhaps with the canvas off while not being used, rather than folding and storing the bimini to the rear of the backstay as I'd hoped.

Gabriel - my E25 is a 1978, and I understand that this last year of E25s did not have the outboard cut out, presumably as part of the transition to the 25+. I have an outboard on a motor mount on the port side of the transom. The teak cockpit extension just lifts off - it rests on a ledge molded into the aft edge of the starboard cockpit seat as I recall, and rests on a teak cleat that is through bolted to the transom. I'm heading to my boat garage today to get some work done on the boat. I'll grab some pictures. I can trace the seat, and perhaps I can send it to you electronically? If I recall the orientation correctly, the seat is 14.25" deep and 16.5" wide, but it is a parallelogram/diamond shape. I wonder if I might be able to scan it? I'll see what I can work out, but I'll get you a template to work with somehow.

 

[Loren Beach]

my E25 is a 1978, and I understand that this last year of E25s did not have the outboard cut out, presumably as part of the transition to the 25+. I have an outboard on a motor mount on the port side of the transom. The teak cockpit extension just lifts off - it rests on a ledge molded into the aft edge of the starboard cockpit seat as I recall, and rests on a teak cleat that is through bolted to the transom. I'm heading to my boat garage today to get some work done on the boat. I'll grab some pictures. I can trace the seat, and perhaps I can send it to you electronically? If I recall the orientation correctly, the seat is 14.25" deep and 16.5" wide, but it is a parallelogram/diamond shape. I wonder if I might be able to scan it? I'll see what I can work out, but I'll get you a template to work with somehow.

Ah So. I was also wondering about the "missing" cut out. Learned something new this morning; good way to start a new day!