Amazing how long it sometimes takes serious flaws to show up.

I went up to the boatyard today to take some sails from the boat to
the sailmaker and found that they had moved her into a slip from where
I had rafted alongside another vessel. When I stepped aboard, I saw
the teak jib sheet cleat broken off and lying on the cockpit seat. My
annoyance at clumsy line or boat handling changed to wonder when I
picked up the cleat. The countersinks for the bolt heads had been
over-enthusiastically drilled so deep that there was less than a
quarter inch of teak holding the cleats to the coamings. Either that
or some long ago Florida boatyard worker was making up for not having
long enough bolts.

Between the bung at the top of the cleat and the bolt heads was over
an inch of air! The part of the cleat that takes the line strain was
completely unsupported by the metal bolts.

I’d thought about replacing these cleats because they sometimes get
used for mooring lines and are pretty critical to handling the big
Genoa. They looked nice however and I figured that they must be up to
the job since they had held up since 1980. Looking at the broken cleat
though, I can’t believe they lasted through the boat’s first week of
sailing, let alone 26 years.

There will be a pair of new bronze cleats on the coamings next season.

--

Roger Long

Many SS chain plates holes are punched out of 1/4-3/8 thick bar stock. This
proactive is not all that good but tolerated.
It took 20 years for an hairline crack to show. The crack must have been
there all the time but not visible to the naked eye. The crack had it root
from the inside diameter of a 1/2 ID hole at about 3/4" from the top edge
of the plate. Having worked in a stamping shop before I realized that this
crack was made by punching a 1/2 hole too close to this edge with a heavy
press and a worn out punch and die.
I then took all the chain plates off. Went to the metal market and bought
some 316 SS bar stock. I cut them to length, rounded the corners and drill
the holes with the proper lubricant. Now I have new chain plates and I do
not to worry about the plates to give up in a big blow.



"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Amazing how long it sometimes takes serious flaws to show up.

I went up to the boatyard today to take some sails from the boat to the
sailmaker and found that they had moved her into a slip from where I had
rafted alongside another vessel. When I stepped aboard, I saw the teak jib
sheet cleat broken off and lying on the cockpit seat. My annoyance at
clumsy line or boat handling changed to wonder when I picked up the cleat.
The countersinks for the bolt heads had been over-enthusiastically drilled
so deep that there was less than a quarter inch of teak holding the cleats
to the coamings. Either that or some long ago Florida boatyard worker was
making up for not having long enough bolts.

Between the bung at the top of the cleat and the bolt heads was over an
inch of air! The part of the cleat that takes the line strain was
completely unsupported by the metal bolts.

I’d thought about replacing these cleats because they sometimes get used
for mooring lines and are pretty critical to handling the big Genoa. They
looked nice however and I figured that they must be up to the job since
they had held up since 1980. Looking at the broken cleat though, I can’t
believe they lasted through the boat’s first week of sailing, let alone 26
years.

There will be a pair of new bronze cleats on the coamings next season.

--

Roger Long

In writes:

Many masts (at least by European makers) have the shrouds fixed to the
mast with some T-terminals in a "keyhole" in the mast. Inside the mast
there is a oval piece of stainless steel to support the mast profile,
the piece is fixed to the mast by a pair (sometimes three) pop rivets.
These plates bend slightly with the stress and pumping of the rig and
within some years they develope some hairline fractures.

I have lost a mast because of broken plate and I have changed these
plates (after learning the lesson) on a few boats of my friends. All the
plates I removed had some serious cracks in them.

So pay attention to the supporting plates inside the keyholes.

- Lauri Tarkkonen

Many SS chain plates holes are punched out of 1/4-3/8 thick bar stock. This
proactive is not all that good but tolerated.
It took 20 years for an hairline crack to show. The crack must have been
there all the time but not visible to the naked eye. The crack had it root
from the inside diameter of a 1/2 ID hole at about 3/4" from the top edge
of the plate. Having worked in a stamping shop before I realized that this
crack was made by punching a 1/2 hole too close to this edge with a heavy
press and a worn out punch and die.
I then took all the chain plates off. Went to the metal market and bought
some 316 SS bar stock. I cut them to length, rounded the corners and drill
the holes with the proper lubricant. Now I have new chain plates and I do
not to worry about the plates to give up in a big blow.



"Roger Long" wrote in message
. ..
Amazing how long it sometimes takes serious flaws to show up.

I went up to the boatyard today to take some sails from the boat to the
sailmaker and found that they had moved her into a slip from where I had
rafted alongside another vessel. When I stepped aboard, I saw the teak jib
sheet cleat broken off and lying on the cockpit seat. My annoyance at
clumsy line or boat handling changed to wonder when I picked up the cleat.
The countersinks for the bolt heads had been over-enthusiastically drilled
so deep that there was less than a quarter inch of teak holding the cleats
to the coamings. Either that or some long ago Florida boatyard worker was
making up for not having long enough bolts.

Between the bung at the top of the cleat and the bolt heads was over an
inch of air! The part of the cleat that takes the line strain was
completely unsupported by the metal bolts.

I’d thought about replacing these cleats because they sometimes get used
for mooring lines and are pretty critical to handling the big Genoa. They
looked nice however and I figured that they must be up to the job since
they had held up since 1980. Looking at the broken cleat though, I can’t
believe they lasted through the boat’s first week of sailing, let alone 26
years.

There will be a pair of new bronze cleats on the coamings next season.

--

Roger Long

Great Roger. Now you have given me a new project. I have an 1980 Endeavour
myself with the same cleats. I use one only to cleat the furling line. It is
frustrating to have big cleats that can't be used for heavy duty use. So I
too will be looking for some nice bronze cleats. Thank you for all the
effort you have put into your web site, I have learned much.
- Allen

Please let me know what you find. I'm curious to know whether this
was just one time inattention by someone working in the ganja haze
that these boats were built in or if it might be an endemic problem.

--

Roger Long



"bushman" wrote in message
news
Great Roger. Now you have given me a new project. I have an 1980
Endeavour myself with the same cleats. I use one only to cleat the
furling line. It is frustrating to have big cleats that can't be
used for heavy duty use. So I too will be looking for some nice
bronze cleats. Thank you for all the effort you have put into your
web site, I have learned much.
- Allen