Inspection of the lower spreaders on my 1977 Ericson 35-2 has revealed some wear/deformation at inner end of the aluminium tappered spreader (that bolts onto protruding mounting hub welded to spar). Has anyone else experienced this problem and can recommend a suggested repair or better yet can anyone advise where new replacement Ericson tappered aluminium spreaders can be purchased.
Ericson 35-2 Lower Spreader Replacement
gareth harris
Sustaining Member
Several different masts were used on Ericsons, so your spreaders may not be the same as mine. One of the manufacturers is linked to this site:
www.rigrite.com
I had some welding done on one of my spreaders to reinforce what sounds like a fairly similar problem - probably not something with which I should go offshore, although it has held up since.
The manufacturer of my mast is out of business, so no direct replacements are available. When the times comes to replace it I plan to send specifications to sites such as the one above, and if they have nothing suitable I will get them fabricated.
gareth
Freyja E35 241 1972
www.rigrite.com
I had some welding done on one of my spreaders to reinforce what sounds like a fairly similar problem - probably not something with which I should go offshore, although it has held up since.
The manufacturer of my mast is out of business, so no direct replacements are available. When the times comes to replace it I plan to send specifications to sites such as the one above, and if they have nothing suitable I will get them fabricated.
gareth
Freyja E35 241 1972
It may be worth a call to Lefiell. Not sure which boats got what, but they did at least some of the spars for the Independence 31. Here's a link:
http://www.lefiell.com/2marine_main.html
http://www.lefiell.com/2marine_main.html
Local fabricator
There are lots of machine/welding shops which cater to the marine market.
If you are in the Detroit area, there are a large # of shops which work with the major boat yards. You could check the yards where a a lot of the race boats are stored for the winter, and I will bet they can turn you on to a welder who can duplicate your broken piece.
Good luck!
S
There are lots of machine/welding shops which cater to the marine market.
If you are in the Detroit area, there are a large # of shops which work with the major boat yards. You could check the yards where a a lot of the race boats are stored for the winter, and I will bet they can turn you on to a welder who can duplicate your broken piece.
Good luck!
S
