Chain plate replacement confusion

[Schooner Chandlery]

Yes using carriage bolts is common but stainless steel (that the chain plate is made of) is really susceptible to cracks in corners so round hole is preferred for the longevity of the plate.




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[Rhapsody-NS27]

My boat was built in 1981. I replaced my chainplates on the recommendation of others because they too had chainplates that "looked ok" but ended up cracking/breaking upon removal. Mine looked ok. Just a little surface rust seen from the outside (external chainplates) but didn't seem too bad. Out of 9 chainplates, the very last one I removed bent/cracked in my hands with ease and only a couple pulls and it broke altogether. Realistically, only ONE bolt was holding the rigging to the hull.

if the chainplates have a nice polish and you want the bolts to match, try this... I used Collinite Metal Wax and spun the bolts with a drill and polished the bolt heads. Came out nice.
https://youtu.be/mAZgcjFZ40I

[Cheechako]

Yes, you can polish bolts/bolt heads to a glow in a drill press, quite easily. If they have raised lettering just use a file as the press turns the bolt to remove that.

[Marksman]

I went with Titanium. Cost just under 1k for 6 plates 1.5" x 20" x .250" and 36 5/8" Ti fasteners from Allied Titanium. Plates were cut to size, I will pull one at a time, match drill and replace. My plates are through deck (1" thick) and sandwiched on the inside. No way to inspect without removal. Will now feel better when squall catches me off guard.

[Steve Bean]

I know what a broach is, but wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to remove the corners on a lathe or drill press?

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by HBWT

That is the bolt dimensions.

The Shroud Chain Plate were ( If memory serves me well) 316 1/2 flat bar stock 4.25-5" Wide by 22-28 inches long. 8 Shroud,

Yes they are visible inside the boat and NW Railmakers Electro Polished and Passivized.

So that's $600-$1200 worth of 316 SS bar cut to length (wide range depending on where you get it) and something like $8/bolt for 5" or 6" and but then it gets spendy when you go over 6" in bolt length. Surprised you'd have bolts of 8" length in a fiberglass hull. What's it going through? So 8 plates x 4 bolts ea or so? x $8 = minimum of $256 worth of 316 SS bolts (via our supplier at least) 6" or less in length (more cost if really 8" long). Oh, yeah and those plates cut to length aren't drilled yet...

And then you're going to polish. If you're not willing to just hire a guy to mechanically do it (cheapest way to go and it will look good) and do some passivizing while he's at it (that can just really mean something as easy as throwing a more industrial equiv of Barkeeper's Friend at it to get the surfacy iron sucked out in the polishing...) then you have to go with machine shop prices and they're not cheap.

metal, metal, metal...

[HBWT]

Originally Posted by Schooner Chandlery

So that's $600-$1200 worth of 316 SS bar cut to length (wide range depending on where you get it) and something like $8/bolt for 5" or 6" and but then it gets spendy when you go over 6" in bolt length. Surprised you'd have bolts of 8" length in a fiberglass hull. What's it going through? So 8 plates x 4 bolts ea or so? x $8 = minimum of $256 worth of 316 SS bolts (via our supplier at least) 6" or less in length (more cost if really 8" long). Oh, yeah and those plates cut to length aren't drilled yet...


metal, metal, metal...

The bolts pass through the hull 1 1/2 thick into a backing block depending on placement 4-6" thick, then through the 1/2 thick chain plate. The reason we went with 8" is that was what was original. If you have a better deal on these, this is a common discussion on our Hans Christian Forum. I will be happy to pass along your information for bolt source. That is a fraction of what I had spent. Even local suppliers did not have 316 carriage bolts that cheap.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by HBWT

The bolts pass through the hull 1 1/2 thick into a backing block depending on placement 4-6" thick, then through the 1/2 thick chain plate. The reason we went with 8" is that was what was original. If you have a better deal on these, this is a common discussion on our Hans Christian Forum. I will be happy to pass along your information for bolt source. That is a fraction of what I had spent. Even local suppliers did not have 316 carriage bolts that cheap.

3/8" ? 142-613-1 3/8"-16 x 8" Carriage Bolts — Silicon Bronze, 1/PKG

(0 Customer Reviews) $16.22

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

3/8" ? 142-613-1 3/8"-16 x 8" Carriage Bolts — Silicon Bronze, 1/PKG

(0 Customer Reviews) $16.22

Our seller in the Schooner Chandlery has slightly better pricing on full body cut thread carriage bolts in Silicon Bronze. That one would be $11.02 ea (vs the $16.22 e) see here at https://schoonerchandlery.com/shop/m...arriage-bolts/

We're helping him put up many more bronze, monel, and stainless products on the site -- stay tuned since that's happening in the next week or so.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by HBWT

The bolts pass through the hull 1 1/2 thick into a backing block depending on placement 4-6" thick, then through the 1/2 thick chain plate. The reason we went with 8" is that was what was original. If you have a better deal on these, this is a common discussion on our Hans Christian Forum. I will be happy to pass along your information for bolt source. That is a fraction of what I had spent. Even local suppliers did not have 316 carriage bolts that cheap.

I looked into the catalog that we're uploading this week for our seller, Ron, who does a lot of fasteners. I had pricing for up to 6" length stainless steel carriage bolts. 8" would require a call over to Ron to get a price on but he's always good about getting things needed at good prices too.

This topic reminded me that we were going to help Ron get all his common inventory uploaded to the site so thanks! Feel free to send a request for pricing of particular items that aren't online yet to me via PM or contact form on the Schooner Chandlery site.

In addition to fasteners we also have custom bronze keelbolts and there's another fellow who will make bronze (not stainless I don't think so at least) chain plates on special order.

We at Schooner Chandlery have good access to materials but don't post that as a product at this time. If anyone is looking for any copper alloys/bronze plate, bar, etc, you can always send a note and we can get you a quote for materials or materials cut to length and width.

If the folks with Hans Christian boats have a common to them but hard to find size, we can source it and put it online as a product, no problem.

The Schooner Chandlery as a marketplace works to link up suppliers and makers with their customers. Our take on it is usually tiny (we charge the seller a 3% marketplace commission) so many times you won't find a better price than ours because we refuse to add more than that to the seller's price.

[barnakiel]

Our boat is about two thirds of your displacement. 6 new chainplates cost was about USD 300 total.

We re-used old fasteners as they were sound. I think I replaced two maybe three where I considered suspicious. Our bolts are about 1'' long and look like 8mm plain SS bolts.

Not sure why so much difference between apparently similar boats.

BTW On the design front, I could consider any bolts that pass thru a backing that thick to be possibly sub-optimal choice. Given the hull thickness you mentioned the backing block is possibly not necessary and should definitely not be made in any material that could catch rot. And I do not believe the material they used in your boat was solid grp!

There are this many ways to build things.

b.

[Sulaire]

We have a hans christian 41 and will be doing the whole chain plate and bolts thing this winter, located in spain for that, do schooner ship to europe?

My lay up sounds similar to HBWT, good old fashioned hans christian over engineering!!

The bolts do seem to be a problem to source, my initial search only brought up custom made as stated, its not something I want to mess around with, its got to be right.

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread, it has been a very helpful, and best of luck in your project.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Just sent a PM to you Sulaire. But yes, those can be shipped to Europe. It's just direct cost of shipping. USPS small packages aren't too costly at all.

[Jim Cate]

The Schooner Chandlery as a marketplace works to link up suppliers and makers with their customers. Our take on it is usually tiny (we charge the seller a 3% marketplace commission) so many times you won't find a better price than ours because we refuse to add more than that to the seller's price.

No need of your services just now, but kudos to you for this attitude. The cruising world would be a better place if more vendors had similar ideas.

Jim

[Sulaire]

Apologies to op if this is off topic, but maybe useful too;

Our chain plates are through deck and then visible on the inside of cabin, some one told me not to put sikaflex or any other sealing/bedding compound on the bolts themselves as stainless is best left to breath, good advice?

I would have thought a small gasket of sealant round the outside head of the bolt would be ok to stop water ingress?