Fixman 566783 Chain Plate Electro Galvanised Staple 50 mm x 50 mm

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Over the years (55+) surveying, I inspected many dismastings and partials because of partial and full bulkheads shreading apart, the ones that did retain the rig was only because the chain plate bolts caught on the bottom side of the deck. Thankfully it´s going to get very hot during the summer and under the tarp of the yacht so that there will be a sufficient influx of drying heat now that the chain plates have been disassembled.

After minutes of scrubbing I desperately began to use sanding paper to get the whole stuff at least visually clean. A new article every three days on sailing, boats and yachts, interview with people from the industry and sailors and many, many insights. The pre-owners of my ship did notice a problem with the chain plates: On three of the chain plates I found thick layers of silicone sealing mass, something the Fiskars yard back in 1975 surely didn´t had at hand. Honestly it'll be better, and probably easier, to replace the whole piece rather than trying to scarf in a section. I first had a close examination of the chain plates themselves: Can I spot marks of extreme abrasion such as hair cracks, deep rust or staining that could be an indicator for extreme high forces and fatigue of material?when the assembly is dis-assembled, I would consider non destructive testing of the chainplate itself.

Not very much, I have to state, and I am very relieved not to find the boat completely worn out because having to replace the whole system would be a catastrophe. As a sailing yacht is sailing, different forces are applied to the whole system of standing rigging all the time. But I want my boat as dry as I can get it so first thing was to sand off the surface underneath the chain plates.

What kind of material to use, to create a good bond with the wood, and with the fiber glass of the hull?

At first: Where silicone once was something else wouldn´t adhere unless the surface is sanded properly.Google West Epoxy or Fibre Glast 2000 resin for details but I am sure there are European equivalents. On port side it´s the chain plate of the lower shroud on starboard side it´s the shroud coming directly over the spreader down which is leaking. On port side I found the core of the roof gone in a radius of up to 10 centimeters, starboard side is a bit less severe but again I too out a lot of wet shreds of rotten Balsa wood. And, well, yes, with a sigh … some more items made it onto my to-do list after some 3 hours of work.

One end of the chainplate is normally fastened to a turnbuckle which is connected to the shroud or stay, whereas the remainder of the chainplate normally has multiple holes that are bolted to the hull, or the chains. As I was taking off the chain plates from the outside I could already spot the dark brown color of rotten wood. I spoke to my surveyor about it and he wanted me to drill a few 1” holes to see if the water had penetrated the wood.

Credit subject to status, UK residents only, Toolstation Ltd, acts as a broker and offers finance from a restricted range of finance providers, PayPal Credit is a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH. years of being out on salty waters, exposed to constant strain and forces by the shrouds, waves and ups and downs of temperatures do leave their marks on every material. How can I hold the mast in place if I want to replace one side at the time, once the standing rigging is loosened?