egged out hardware

Glad I checked this out...(hope these photos make it)
Take a look at this boom end fitting for the mainsheet - the bolt is getting a might on the thin side. I don't think the fitting is really meant to have the figure eight shape either. What is a little unusual is that the stainless bolt has taken as much punisment as that cast AL fitting - I would think the bolts threads would just saw away at AL.
Some more egging out - this is the rear port chainplate knee - appearently the chainplate bolt's threads egged out the plywood in the knee until the first bolt met the underside of the deck. Probably not a failure waiting to happen as the boom end fitting but would not make a happy boat.
A personal peeve is not matching a bolts shoulder - the smooth part - to its use - if threads contact either plywood or metal it will result in a sawing action and egging of the hole.

wait till its hauled out and look at the wear and tear on the goudgeons.how long will the water drip drip drip drip out of the shoe and the wrist pins--and look for surface crazing just in front of the rudder shoe----those crazings usually go more than skin deep---and another source of drip drip drip--- :eek:so let me ask you all this---there are voodin voodin voodin botze still here from 1800s or so .how much longer do you think these ole' bhotze'll last or will they just go out like Hoffa???

I removed this fitting on 'Faith' about a year ago, and found similar damage.

What caused me to remove it was that the stainless tang that the mainsheet attached to was really loose. I found that the bolt was necked down, and that the nut had come apart inside the boom, leaving only the distorted plastic washer inside that had fused it's self to the threads~!

I am impressed that you were able to remove the stainless screws that hold the cap on.... mine all sheared off neatly at the head when I tried to remove them.

THis is definitely an item others should take a look at.
[SIZE=3] [/SIZE]

I was lucky about being able to remove the screws attaching boom and mast hardware - most came out with a little application of heat & use of an impact driver. The only real exception was the mast heel fitting - I had to drill out two of the four attaching screws. Removing the mast heel out of the mast required the use of a slide hammer (my other choice was a hack saw!).
I am replacing the mast heel with a 2 piece hinge setup - so I have been busy fab'ing up a mast step. Will try to post some pics of this setup later on.

Doug, Like to see what you come up with!
I had to hacksaw the mastheel fitting off too,
did a hack job with the sawsall. :o