Chainplates on a 1990 Compass 47

[lambrettaman]

We are interested in a 1990 Compass 47. One of the great things about these South African built yachts is the beautiful teakwork in the interiors. It is also an issue since it covers up where the chainplates are attached below the deck.

Does anyone know how the chainplates on these boats are attached to the hull?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, lambrettaman.

[Nicholson58]

Pictures?

Found that careful cabinet disassembly on our 1984 Camper & Nicholson 58 let us reach and remove the chain plates. Plates were 3/4 x 3 x 24 inches, SS. All four were cracked where they passed through the deck. I replaced with grade 5 titanium.

[KTP]

3/4" thick chainplates????

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by KTP

3/4" thick chainplates????

Yes. Shrouds & all main mast stays are 3/4. Boat is 40 tons. Main is 80 feet.

[lambrettaman]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, lambrettaman.

Thanks so much! My wife and I are targeting September 2021 for our cruising adventure. Very glad to find the forum.

[lambrettaman]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Found that careful cabinet disassembly on our 1984 Camper & Nicholson 58 let us reach and remove the chain plates. Plates were 3/4 x 3 x 24 inches, SS. All four were cracked where they passed through the deck. I replaced with grade 5 titanium.

I've heard from a Compass 47 owner that the chainplates are bolted onto massive knees glassed into the hull. I'm sure they are behind those gorgeous wood pieces. I've been searching for how tos on how to remove interior pieces like these to no avail. Do you have any you can point me to? Were you able to re-use your cabinets after you carefully disambled them?

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Pictures?

I haven't quite figured out the photo sharing here yet... below are thumbnails though. Apologies for the quality of the deck photo.





You can see definite water damage in the paneling.

[Nicholson58]

I started inside cabinets and lockers. They were mostly assembled using tiny brass screws. I found some access behind trim strips. Yes, I totally reassembled without damage.

[lambrettaman]

We found out the answer this weekend. The chainplates on our Compass 47 are in fact glassed into the knees. The 4 that are on either side. The inner forestay and backstay chainplates are bolted on.

[Afrinus]

Hi There

I'm in the beginning process of purchasing a Compass 47, so I'm reading as much as I can find about these great boats.
When you say glassed in - is there any way to get to them?

Regards

Pieter

[lambrettaman]

Originally Posted by Afrinus

When you say glassed in - is there any way to get to them?

When I say glassed in, I mean they are encapsulated in the the fiberglass knees. They are epoxied in right up to where they exit the side decks.

To get at them, we will need to remove the wood cabinetry in the salon. Big, invasive job, for sure.

The aft stay and staysail stay chainplates are easily accessible. We are replacing the aft stay chainplate and it was mildly embedded to the hull as well.

They are great boats. We are in the midst of major refit and every time we pull up a sole plate or get behind a panel we are more impressed with how well the Compass 47 is designed and constructed.

[Afrinus]

Ugh. I don't get why builders do that. It's not that it's unknown that stainless can suffer from crevice corrosion, and that even the best stainless at some point in a boats life will have to be replaced.

Do you have drawings that show this or did you start taking the cabinets apart

Pieter

[lambrettaman]

Originally Posted by Afrinus

Do you have drawings that show this or did you start taking the cabinets apart

Pieter

Certainly not a best practice to do it this way. I looked around inside with an endoscope and pulled off the chain plate covers from the deck. It was really obvious with the chain plate covers off.

[lambrettaman]

Here's a picture of the aft stay chainplate that I took to get an estimate on a replacement for.

[Wotname]

FWIW, I have seen a 80s Taiwanese built 43' yacht which had massive glassed in thru deck chainplates. The present owner simply new fitted external chainplates and left the original ones in situ now unused.

He did get some engineering help in where to locate the new plates and there was some internal cabinetry to be removed and refitted. I don't have any more details to offer.