Standing Rigging

[mbd]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Here are the chainplates that will eventually go back on the boat. Lacking any information on a "proper" angle for the "mids", I had them flattened and will do more research on the angles and pay close attention when I reinstall them on the boat.

I still like the external chainplate idea/look, but with a set of good ones on hand already, and assurances from the boatyard manager and fabricator that they are all sound, it seems to make more sense to go with the original setup.

I'm in the process of tracking down previous owners to see if someone had rerigged at some point, because, as you see, the "originals" are stainless, not bronze. I would think if someone HAD rerigged the boat, that the Backstay Chainplate would/should have certainly been replaced at that time, but since it obviously wasn't...

Anyway, I tried to take this picture showing the angles they are bent. They are laid out from forward to aft, port and starboard, just as they'll be replaced on the boat. Only the aft chainplates have a bend now.

[mbd]

Here's a better look at the angles of my chainplates as I will be installing them. The picture is fore to aft...

[Tony G]

I may be missing something here, but, why the bend? Why not use toggles?

[Ed Ekers]

Thought I could share one of those “Oh Crap” moments. I was doing the spring thing on Pathfinder a couple of weeks back and was in the process of tuning the rig. After a full inspection of all the standing rigging everything was backed off and cleaned and lubricated. I was in the final stages of getting all the shrouds tensioned when - POW!

On Pathfinder we have replaced the shrouds a couple of times over the years but always used the original turnbuckles. Well we now have new turnbuckles. The threads let loose on a forward lower. Glad it happened at the dock. I guess 47 years was the life span of a turnbuckle that lives on a boat in a salt air environment on the west coast.

Just wanted to offer this to those that might still have to original hardware on the standing rigging. All is well on Pathfinder now and we have been out sailing often……ed

[Rico]

Yes... better at the dock than out in the bay...


I'd not read this thread before - here is C-155's upgrade to the chainplates:

<img src=http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussion/attachment.php?attachmentid=5087&stc=1&d=121790485 5 />

I am somehow oddly unable to link the picture here...
A space keeps getting inserted between the last two '5's on the link.
In any case; the pic is at this link post #28
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...ead.php?t=1552

The original backstay chainplate is 1/8" SS plate. I used 3/16" 316 SS plate for the new one. This was mostly because I wanted some increased torsional rigidity as I thought that this was the original design's biggest weakness. A sudden jolt that pulls in a direction that is out of line with the axis of the thin plate would make it twist and fail... Unlikely, but this is how this would fail...

In the picture, you can see the 6 little chainplates to replace the original bronze ones, and the original backstay chainplate lying between two copies of the new design. (Which I'll .pdf and post for reference.) Missing in the picture is the top plate. The one that covers-up the opening as the chainplate comes through the deck. This is also a bit larger than the original which is only there for looks...

There are two new chainplates in the picture. I still only have one backstay, but I ended up with two copies of the new design due to an order mishap...

I cleaned & polished the tips so that they are shiny on the top ends...

You can see the final results in post #28 on and in the rest of the thread.
http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...ead.php?t=1552