fixntheboat
Member II
Anyone know the Manufacture of the spar and or spreaders..need to replace one if not all spreaders...ends are corroded on and base is cracked..
Spreader ?1974 E32-2
- Thread starter fixntheboat
- Start date
gareth harris
Sustaining Member
According to a post on here years ago there were three mast manufacturers used by Ericson in that era, at least one of which is no longer in business (which is the one that made my mast). If you post a photograph of the mast and spreaders it would help identification.
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
Gareth
Freyja E35 #241 1972
You might try contacting Ballenger Spars in CA, they are familiar with Ericson spars and can probably get you set up. Otherwise its Rig Rite ($$$) for OEM parts if you can figure out which mfg.
www.ballengerspars.com
www.ballengerspars.com
Hawaii Sailor
E27, Kaneohe, Hawaii
I bought mine from Ballenger. It's a thru bar system, supposed to be very strong. I haven't installed it yet because it's a bit out of my wheel house to cut into the mast.
You might want to checkout Doug's post and start on post#24 https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/e27-broken-spreader-bracket.8979/page-2
I
I was worried about this too and it took me quite awhile to get up the nerve to cut into the mast. But once I did, it wasn't difficult or complicated, just finicky and time consuming. Research, plan and then work carefully and methodically. Measure 6 times! Cut things a little short and work into the final dimensions with a mini file set. Round the corners of the thru-bar cutout with a very small round file to prevent stress cracks. I had Brian Toss review this work plan as part of a rigging inspection/consult since I replaced the chainplates as well and he said it was a good repair plan. In fact he recommended that I switch from rivets to screws for the repair plates which I did. The boat is no longer mine, but is still actively sailed by a friend and the spreaders are solid as a rock ten years on.
Hawaii Sailor
E27, Kaneohe, Hawaii
This is super helpful, thank you!
Hawaii Sailor
E27, Kaneohe, Hawaii
Hawaii Sailor
E27, Kaneohe, Hawaii
Thank you, this is very helpful. I am overwhelmed with boat projects, but I've made some good progress since owning my E27 a year ago. Interesting move with the screws versus the rivet gun. I don't own a rivet gun, so this seems more appealing to me. However I would need to do research on the type of screws used or how to avoid corrosion between SS and aluminum. Looks like the spreaders are bolted onto the thru bar? I also wouldn't think to use the existing hole to cut into for the thru bar, since the diameter is slightly bigger. If its snug and strong, that's all that matters. Buzz gave me instructions for installing a similar system for an F27
how to avoid corrosion between SS and aluminum
The simple solution is Tef-gel or similar product. Our spars are full of stainless connectors and the worry is often overstated. Anyhow, rivets are also often stainless.
The simple solution is Tef-gel or similar product. Our spars are full of stainless connectors and the worry is often overstated. Anyhow, rivets are also often stainless.
kapnkd
kapnkd
Need to get the cobwebs out of my memory banks, BUT - MANY - years ago our spreader ends were corroded badly on our ‘73 E-32.
We found someone (can’t remember who) that took a stock piece of aluminum round to the OD size to what was needed cut off the spreader getting solid metal again, milled a portion of the stock round to fit the ID size of the spreader, then inserted it inside and secured it in place with a screw.
Of course the ends of the stock pieces were slotted to fit the stays complete with end caps and all!
I’d send photos but we seasonally stored mast up this year.
Hope this can also be of help!
kapnkd
kapnkd
I’ve still got our mast apart and stored on a rack yet so can get you a couple photos no problem.
…Only thing, I can’t get back to our boat club till tomorrow or Tuesday at the earliest.
Meantime, here’s a photo of just the spreaders and the bases plus a cropped picture showing a spreader in place. Notice there’s a SS Plate screwed into the mast. It has a flat piece of SS protruding that sleeves into the inside of the cast aluminum spreader base. It holds the spreader in place by the single nut & bolt that can be seen in the other picture.
