Pearson Boats - Common Systems > Standing & Running Rigging and Fitting/Tuning

Chain plate removal and inspection

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Eddy:
I got my survey back and the one item on the list that he indicated needed immediate attention was to pull the chainplates and inspect/rebed them. While we were doing the survey he said I could pull one at a time and use one of the halyzrds to hold tension while I did that. Has anyone else done this? What should I attach the halyard to? Any info appreciated, thanks.

Now or Never!:
Interesting that this subject should come up.  I recently met another 323 owner who recommended this inspection.  He had a chainplate fail.  Obviously you can see the chainplate above the deck and below but you cannot see it where is passes through the deck.  If there is going to be any corrosion, that is where it will occur.  I plan to inspect them as soon as I return from my winter cruise.  As long as you remove the chainplates one at a time, I don't think it would be necessary to provide any kind of temporary support.

Eddy:
I pulled, cleaned, inspected, rebed, intalled all 6 plates. I found all 3 on the port side leaking and the forward plate on the starboard side leaking. All of the plates that had been leaking had a good amount of corrosion on the cover plate that covers the entry on the deck. All of the plates showed very minor pitting and a very slight amount of wear at the top of the hole where the rigging attaches. I didn't see anything that warranted replacement at this time. I am going to make up a replacement set of plates as well as covers. The factory covers are 1/8" aluminum, I'm going to make a set out of 316 SS to replace them with. There was some rot in the coring but nothing terrible I think I got to this in time. I took pictures of the plates with the interior panels removed but I can't find them now. I didn't support the mast I just pulled each one individually after talking to a local rigger.

T_schlueter:
I just looked closely at a chainplate and it appeared the trim piece was welded to the chainplate. You picture indicates otherwise. Maybe I can rebed without removing the chainplate. Yes?

selene:
I recently replaced all my chainplates (7, not the stem fitting); after 40 years, I thought it time, even though the old ones appeared to be in good shape.  I got new ones made by Garhauer at a very reasonable price.

After pulling the chainplates - using halyards to help support the mast, 'cos I am chicken - I removed ~1/4" of balsa core in each slot, and filled the gap with thickened epoxy, so as to seal the core - now even if the chainplates leak the core will be kept dry. I then put in a small chanfer/bevel around each slot to improve the bedding efficiency (acting like a small o-ring, in theory)

The covers, as others have reported, are aluminium, and were pitted but functional. I cleaned off surface corrosion and reinstalled them, using butyl tape to bed things down.

So far no leaks. But it was surprising to me how much the hull relaxed without shrouds; it needed a couple of weeks to get the tension right!

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