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

Product Information

Water on the chainplate without the presence of sufficient oxygen can cause inter granular corrosion of the stainless. 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. A lot more made it onto the list during work, I guess that´s the normal way when digging deeper and deeper into the bowels of an old ship.

To speed up this process I am going to fill the holes with those little packages of silicate which will hopefully suck out all the moisture from the wood. Finally I´ve found most of the Balsa core intact and dry but eventually three holes have been severely attacked by the moisture. As I could see after removing of the wooden cover and the faux leather at least two of the shrouds did get leaky over time allowing small amounts of water penetrate the cabin.I went to the marina today, and this time I removed some of the rotted wood, and took some pictures, and as you can see it extends close to the plates. I am currently checking different methods which is the best way: Resin without GRP-mesh, resin with GRP-mesh, classic filler.

when the assembly is dis-assembled, I would consider non destructive testing of the chainplate itself. This is something that I have concerns about but the prospect of removing the chainplates for a look and see is daunting.The chain plate itself is screwed tightly with five bolts each to a counter part on the opposite side of the beam. I also found out that the wood extends to the level were you put the cushions, and not bellow, as you can see in the pictures.

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. The chain plates are made of Niro-steel and a duct through the cabin roof where they are attached to massive beams made of glass-reinforced fiber which are laminated into the outer shell of the hull. I will have to rebuild the core, at least fill up the holes with resin and GRP-mesh to again insure stability. As I was taking off the chain plates from the outside I could already spot the dark brown color of rotten wood. And, BTW, when the assembly is dis-assembled, I would consider non destructive testing of the chainplate itself.And, well, yes, with a sigh … some more items made it onto my to-do list after some 3 hours of work. So like a dentist with his hellish instruments I was probing through the screw-holes into the core of the beams.

The very two chain plates which have caused the core in the beams to partially disintegrate have done much more damage to the roof.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. Then you could re-glass from inside the cupboard along the forward edge of the new bulkhead and glass sections on the after edge where you can get access through cupboards etc. I like the design of my boat, the space, and the way it handle in rough weather, and I like to keep it if possible. This distributes the load across the hull, making it possible for a somewhat lighter hull to support the load of the shrouds and stays. Don´t forget: A King´s Cruiser – just as many sailing yachts even today – has a sandwich construction.