[C320-list] chain plate rebedding (was deck changes)

[Jeff Hare]

Great write up Jim.

I'm using Butyl tape as well that I purchased from http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects
He's got great directions for using it that are not to be missed. Particularly the ones about countersinking the bolt holes and how to ensure that through bolts don't leak.

This is the same stuff I used when I swapped my Aft cabin "escape hatch" with the main salon overhead hatch last summer because the main cabin hatch was crazed and the aft cabin one was not (and also headed off some impending leaks).

Cheers!
-Jeff Hare
#809

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of jim brown
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2015 11:03 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] chain plate rebedding (was deck changes)

I rebedded all my chain plates last summer and can offer my 2 cents.1. I would consider doing them all while your at it. I had only one with a leak but all showed evidence of water intrusion into the cutout through the deck. Rust stains on the chainplate,  moldy shrunken caulk, and water in most of the cavities. I  would not just pull the deck plate and re-bed since you'll just trap any water in the cutout. I did one at a time alternating port and starboard shrouds and left the mains for last.
2. The problem is that the chain plates go through the deck at an angle but the cut out is vertical so there is a different space to fill from the deck to headliner inboard and outboard of the chain plate. It's a bit of a pain to dig all the caulk out to get to the core. Mine (hull 973) was solid glass so no rot.3. By extra nuts and bolts before you start that are longer than what's in there. Mine were cut off at nut and when I tried to reassemble I couldn't get the bolts to come far enough through to capture the nut because of the new bedding material (I used butyl tape but I think that even caulk would have made it difficult). I've seen some 320s with acorn nuts over the fastening nut and if you have them you probably won't need longer bolts. (sorry don't remember the sizes but know the bolts are a pan head and not the usual round head)4. If you have to loosen the rods from the bottom of the plate they are a bear to get at. The smaller ones you can tighten with an open ended wrench because the wrench is small enough to turn a little in the tight space. The mains have a larger nut and you can't get a regular spanner on it and have space to turn. A crows foot and basin wrench didn't work for me. I found that a set of wrenches for taking out shower faucets ($10 or so at Harbor Freight) did the trick. 
 Not a bad project really. And no more drips so far. 

Jim Brown


      From: Doug Treff <doug at treff.us>
 To: C320-List at catalina320.com 
 Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2015 10:50 AM
 Subject: Re: [C320-list] Deck changes
   


Warren, 

I would like to know this information too. I discovered a leaking chain
plate this weekend and want to know the complexity of the job before I
tackle it. 

Warren - I would appreciate a copy of whatever procedure you followed in
case I discover that my boat has not had the newer layup schedule. 

I inquired of Catalina and this is the reply I received from Warren
Pandy in the Florida plant: 
Going back 20 years, we were not yet on computer so this would be a
considerable archive search execise to see if this detail was recorded
or can be found. However if you are taking out or rebedding the
chainplate it will only take a fraction of that time, a few minutes
difference if there happens to be any core close to or at the chainplate
cut. On any deck if there is no wood or core, applying the Urethane
based Sikaflex, 4200 or 5200 to the gap between the cut out and the
plate is the normal process. However any any make/model boat if one is
going thru a core, first a resin or epoxy coating is applied to the
vertical cut surface and the the 4200 or 5200 and chainplate are
installed. If there is a core there and it has any damage or if one just
wants and extra level of protection, simply notch or carve out some of
the core and then back fill it with Resin or Epoxy filler putty. then
proceed to follow above. 

Is there anyone here who has done the repair and can state whether there
was visible core material? If so, please note your hull number. This
would be useful to know... 

Thanks! 

---
Doug Treff
#350 - September Song
Pasadena, MD
doug at treff.us



On 2015-03-22 15:58, Warren Updike wrote: 

> Can anyone say in which model year the deck went from balsa core to solid
> FRP where the chain plates pass through? I checked the Hull History and
> could find no indication.
> 
> Warren and Pattie Updike
> 
> 1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62