Question: Rigging Maintenance

[hcpookie]

My E27 is in need of recaulking the deck plates. I'll probably use 4200 to bed them.

My question - Can I "simply" remove one cable at a time, and be OK let with the other 5 cables carrying the load? If possible, I intend to do these one-by-one, which is about all my schedule can handle.

TIA,
- Jerry

 

[Glyn Judson]

Leaking chainplates.

Jerry, You might not want to use 3M 4200 and instead something that will eflx a lot more. Here's the text I wrote from a previous post asking the same question. Consider fixing those leaks in the following manner. 1. Temporarily remove the deck cover plate and shroud in question. Tape the threads on the turnbuckle so you can return them to their prior tension and just do your chainplates one at a time for safety. 2. Use a Dremel tool with a tapered stone fitted to cut a 3/16" to 1/4" deep, 45 degree chamfer into the deck glass around all four sides of the chainplate. 3. Blow the debris out (close your eyes first), clean the area with acetone and let dry for a short while. 4. Apply a fillet of 3M 101 (black or white) to the chamfer and gently press the stainless cover plate down on it to create a little squeeze-out. 5. Walk away and let it cure for 24 hours. 6. Cut off the excess 3M 101 with a utility knife and screw the cover plate sown. If your plate screw holes are enlarged, drill out the hole slightly oversized to remove any debris and old bedding material and then fill the holes with epoxy using a plastic syringe and let cure. Redrill the hole and screw the plate down. Be sure to bed the screw threads too. The 3M 101 bonds to both the glass material of the side deck and your stainless or aluminum chainplates. Additionally, it remains flexible for life and is UV stable. It's pretty cool stuff that will stop those pesky leaks forever. Go for it, Glyn

 

[hcpookie]

Glyn thanks for hte info - I'll do that!

What about keeping the mast up with only 5 of the 6 wires in a dock? Am I running a risk? I can stay on the boat whilst the 101 is drying... that's not a problem. I just don't want to have it go "snap" at 3:00 in the morning

 

[Frank Langer]

Someone else may know better than I do, but if you aren't sure, you could add extra reinforcement by using a halyard to replace the shroud temporarily.
Frank.

 

[Emerald]

Hi Jerry,

what did you do with the other two stays? She has 8 total to start with !

You should be fine to do one at a time, but if you release the backstay or forestay, run a halyard as a temporary (and cleat the tail of the halyard on the mast or it'll do nothing to support it). You may also want to back the tension off the opposing upper shroud to the one you are working on so you aren't pulling the masthead side to side via the uppers.


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

 

[hcpookie]

A halyard! (smacks forehead) Brilliant idea Larry!

Emerald, I decided there were too many on the sides and removed a few

SERIOUSLY... I should have said the 'side' rigging

Thanks guys!

 

[NateHanson]

I've usually referred to the athwartship stays collectively as "shrouds" (6 in this case) and to all the standing rigging that holds the mast up as "stays". Is that right? Or have I made up that distinction on my own? Just curious.

Nate

 

[rwthomas1]

When I replaced all the Navtec bolts in my E38 rig I simply did them one at a time. My rigger who did the inspection said this would be no problem. Since I couldn't mark the bolts as they were being replaced I used a machinist's type vernier caliper to measure the dimension. I actually locked the caliper at each location to hold the correct measurement. Worked very well and was more accurate than it needed to be for sure.

Regarding the correct terminology I asked the rigger what you call all that wire and this is what he said:
1. Port, starboard wires to the top of the mast, in line with the mast, are "cap shrouds"
2. Port, starboard wires to bottom of second spreader, in line with the mast, are "intermediate shrouds"
3. Port, starboard wires to first spreader, two forward and two aft, are "forward and aft lower shrouds"
4. Top of mast to bow, "headstay" or "jibstay"
5. Top of mast to stern, "backstay"

I don't know if thats correct but there you go... RT