E35-2 starboard chainplate / removing the bar?

[adam]

I want to pull my starboard chainplate to reseal it and check for deck rot, but the bar is in the way...

Does anyone know off hand how to remove the bar? Do I have to pull all 10 of the screws in the trim?

Also, would anyone recommend cutting a hole in the closet such that there is always access to the back of the chainplate? I'm leaning slightly toward this, but also like getting a 2nd opinions before cutting holes in my boat.

 

[adam]

I answered all of my questions myself, and perhaps it will be useful for someone else.

1. Cutting a hole for inspection access probably is not necessary. I can reach around from below the bar and feel for moisture to see if the chainplate is leaking.

2. To get any leverage on th the chainplate bolts, the bar has to come out anyways.

3. The unusued little chainplate above the bar was leaking badly, so I'm glad I removed the bar.

4. Yes, all ten screws had to be removed to pull out the bar.

5. My compromise is that I'll leave out the bungs when I reinstall the bar. It'll make the bar look just a tiny bit worse, but give me easy access to the chainplate a in the future.

 

[Frank Langer]

Adam, how did you remove the bungs without damaging the surrounding teak? Just a drill?
Frank

 

[garryh]

an ice pick or a thin pointed awl works really well... a couple of careful jabs from either side against the grain and the bung disintegrates and can be worked out easily. What does not work well as is often mentioned is cutting the head off a screw and drilling it in to pull the bung out. It will pull splinters of good wood every time.

 

[garryh]

"3. The unusued little chainplate above the bar was leaking badly, so I'm glad I removed the bar"

this btw is a very timely thread and very useful info, I have this job ahead of me in the Spring.
There is a small plate maybe 1" X 2" on the deck against the cabin wall inboard of the main chainplate/shroud and I have no idea what it is. I thought it might be connected across to the main chainplate or somehow be lending support to the deck... is it doing anything at all? can it be removed?

 

[Christian Williams]

Adam,

If you plan to refinish the trim pieces, I wouldn;t hesitate to re-plug. It's easy--and an unplugged plug hole leaves the screw set unattractively low.

 

[adam]

Frank, I drill a hole in the bung and then use a small flathead screwdriver to carefully break off the remaining pieces of the bung.

sailortype, see my other thread here. It seems no one is quite sure what those other deck fittings/chainplates are for. Maybe for an inner jib. Seems pretty safe to remove them and plug the hole...

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...ing-epoxied-to-deck-!-!-!&p=103123#post103123

Christian, yeah if I was planning to refinish the bar it might make sense. But the bar looks good right now. And if it put in bungs, I'd have to sand them down and then varnish the entire bar, right? Doesn't seem worth it while I'm dealing with structural issues.

 

[garryh]

thanks Adam, would never have found that thread. On my boat there is just a flat plate on both sides with no eye for any kind of fitting... may have been ground flat by a PO. Reading above, it would make sense as some kind of vang or storm jib sheet attachment.
Regarding bar re-intsallation, I am in the same boat... kinda sorta Not so worried about cosmetics as structural at this point. Maybe use some wide head truss screws to reinstall, or even brass round head screws with washers. garry

 

[saltandthesea]

Removing chainplate with mast in place?

Adam - stupid question: did you pull the chainplate with the mast in place? If so - how did you secure the mast? Halyard?

Thanks,
Mike

I want to pull my starboard chainplate to reseal it and check for deck rot, but the bar is in the way...

Does anyone know off hand how to remove the bar? Do I have to pull all 10 of the screws in the trim?

Also, would anyone recommend cutting a hole in the closet such that there is always access to the back of the chainplate? I'm leaning slightly toward this, but also like getting a 2nd opinions before cutting holes in my boat.

 

[adam]

Adam - stupid question: did you pull the chainplate with the mast in place? If so - how did you secure the mast? Halyard?

There are no stupid questions, especially when your mast could potentially fall.

1. Make sure you loosen up the other side.

2. With the lowers helping hold up the mast, you're probably okay without it. But as there is no reason not to do it, I always use a halyard to act as a temporary replacement at the dock.

On the E29 I used to have, I actually replaced all of the standing rigging with the mast in place. That was an exciting adventure the first time!