35-2 Aft Glassed in Chainplate - Risk of Failure?

[ignacio]

Grinding it out

I took a grinder to mine and removed it, and replaced it with Grade 5 Ti bar. Grinding it out sucked in that confined space, and so did getting in and out of the aft lazarette. I found several voids where it was glassed in, with rust penetrating below deck level about 2 inches or so. The original was 1/4" thick, but I upsized to 3/8" and through-bolted the new piece to the transom after epoxying a 3/8" sheet of G10 on the inside as a massive backing plate (which I needed for the wind vane anyway).

 

[ignacio]

New chainplate

Here's the new Ti chain plate taken while I was installing the wind vane (4 years after installation of the chain plate). Like others, I also chose to beg for forgiveness with installing it over the name.

 

[Loren Beach]

The Ti solution

Encouraging news!
Time to carefully inspect my external backstay plate for any cracks.

Nice upgrade/restoration project.

Thanks very much.

 

[Emerald]

As I read through this, I can't help but feel I should do something to address the chain plates on Emerald. The early Independence 31 is a little different flavor though. I've got aluminum chainplates that go through the deck and then are glassed to the inside of the hull. External straps seem the most practical solution, but I've not wanted to jump in "just because". I am only aware of one 31 that lost a chain plate, and I can't remember if it was an earlier one with aluminum plates like mine or a later one after they switched to stainless. Another line item on the perpetual to-do list.

 

[Hanktoo]

I don't know whether to thank you all, or curse you.

what kinda mess does that leave if you pull the chainplate out. Any pics of the area it was removed from would be great. I would think it would leave an area that is now thinner than the rest of the transom.

 

[Christian Williams]

As Loren said earlier, why not use the existing chainplate as a backing plate for an external version?

The holes don't have to match, drill new ones.

All the smart money here loves titanium, along with Frank Gehry. I went with plain old Stainless 504. Cheap, handy, and good for a long time.

 

[Hanktoo]

found an old thread which had a picture of the chainplate with glass attached. it certainly does show enough voids to be an issue


http://www.ericsonyachts.org/<wbr>infoexchange/showthread.php?<wbr>9949-E-35-II-Encapsilated-<wbr>Backstay-Chainplate&highlight=<wbr>chainplate