Noticed Another BIGGER Crack !

[CarlF]

I'm with Peter on this. That joint doesn't look like it was ever meant to be structural. Poke around and see if you get to something more substantial than paint. If this was a 40ft heavy cruising boat, it would be another story but there just isn't that much force here.

Notice also that the chain plate is bolted to the cabin side. This is very strong - the cabin side and deck make up a huge "L" channel.

The only thing I don't like is what looks like three bolts on the right side of the lower picture. What is that? As long as those nuts are snug to the underside of the deck that's fine but if a piece of metal reinforcement is bent or pulling away you need to investigate.

To make yourself feel better, I'd also check while heeled under sail. I would expect to see some movement - the gap might be opening and closing by as much as 1/4".

Carl


Carl

[E.L.Green]

i will double check but the three bolts to the right have something to do with the track for the jenny i believe. ill check again but in either case we dont use that, just the working jib as of right now.

[zeehag]

was raced?? goood luck--i would look at deck and hull joint and chainplates-- prolly need to replace em..... corrosion does make metals expand and that can cause cracking you do not wanna see... goood uck. could be an easy fix or a difficult one--i hope is easier than not....remember that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.......and compensatory actions do greater damage than the original action..... gooodluck.

[E.L.Green]

update.. i spoke to my father who is a partner on the boat and showed him the photos. he said it has been there for quite some time i just happened to notice it the other day.

[s/v Jedi]

I would like to know how you exactly tuned that rigging... and how "tight" it is now? How did you measure rig tension?

Nick.

[E.L.Green]

loos gage

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by E.L.Green

loos gage

Okay... what diameter wire at which tension? With these cracks after rig tune, I think it's wise to re-check this as it's almost certainly related.

ciao!
Nick.

[S/V Antares]

Try attaching a line port to stab. between the chain plates. If the string sags on a hard beat or reach that the cabin top is flexing up. You may need a pendant from the coach roof by the mast to the keel or mast step. Saw this on a Santana 28 years ago.

[E.L.Green]

forget the size of the rigging but it is 25 lower and 35 upper. i havent seen the gage recently so i cant tell you the exact numbers. apparently its been like that for some time ive only just noticed it recently.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by E.L.Green

forget the size of the rigging but it is 25 lower and 35 upper. i havent seen the gage recently so i cant tell you the exact numbers. apparently its been like that for some time ive only just noticed it recently.

Okay, I think you have to assume the rigging is too tight until you get the tension verified. It doesn't really matter when the damage occurred; it matters how it occurred and my bet is the rigging did this.

ciao!
Nick.

[E.L.Green]

but if the cracks have been there for at least two seasons, and i just re tuned the rig this season, it was obviously there before the rig was tight..

[osirissail]

From the OP's photo it appears that the chainplate is attached to the raised cabin top instead of to the actual hull. Very unusual and if you overtension the shrouds or overload them while sailing you will pull up on the cabin top and separate the tabbing.
- - I would classify that set-up as a major design fault. But you can work around it by cleaning and opening up the area around the joint between the vertical bulkhead and the cabin top where the crack is located.
- - To fix the problem from re-occurring in the future it would be advisable to have a stainless plate made that will attach to the vertical bulkhead and then to the side of the cabin top below the chainplate. Then re-tab the bulkhead to the vertical bulkhead.
- - You need to check the bottom of that vertical bulkhead and see how it is attached to the hull at the other end. There just may be broken tabbing down there.
- - Another alternative is to relax the rigging, repair the tabbing, then have a polished stainless rod fabricated that will attach to the chain plate on one end and to a structural hull member down in the area underneath the furniture or whatever is right below the chainplate. I would prefer the bar idea as it would directly connect the chainplate to the hull where it should be attached - not to the cabin top.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by E.L.Green

but if the cracks have been there for at least two seasons, and i just re tuned the rig this season, it was obviously there before the rig was tight..

Like I said, it doesn't matter when the cracks occurred, only -how- or -why- they occurred. You can choose to ignore the issue, but that doesn't solve it of course, while it has a lot of ways to worsen.

ciao!
Nick.

[E.L.Green]

im not choosing to ingor it , just pointing out that it had happened before the rigging was tuned, while this may be a contributing factor, it was seperated before this season, while the rig was tuned too loose.

[E.L.Green]

when the shrouds were loose, it was sending a shockload to the rigging, especially when gybing which is why i felt the need to retune the rig, there is minimal play in the leeward shrouds now..