Chainplates

[brokesailor]

The survey on the boat I have an offer on came back with a hairline crack on one chain plate. Are these fabricated or do you get stock from the manufacturer? Crealock-37. Do you normally just replace the one al all of them?

[sailingdog]

If one has a hairline crack, the others are probably about to fail as well. You replace chainplates as a set, not one at a time. Doing one at a time is penny-wise/pound-foolish, and can get you killed if one you didn't replace fails and the rig comes down.

You normally have to get them custom fabricated, unless the boat is still being made.

Originally Posted by brokesailor

The survey on the boat I have an offer on came back with a hairline crack on one chain plate. Are these fabricated or do you get stock from the manufacturer? Crealock-37. Do you normally just replace the one al all of them?

[PeterSailer]

I pesonally never heard about a hair line crack in a chain plate But i'm sure it's possible. I did heard about it on turn buckles and other part of the rigging.

But it's really no big deal to change a chain plate, it's basically just a plate of stainless steel... unscrew the bolts and replace it, you could probably have one made up at a local machinist shop or something but in sure you could find a source on the internet.

(if the mast is still stepped, make sure too loosen the stays/shroud)

Good luck

[RainDog]

I assume you already read through the threads on the PS group about this?

Rumor has it for the six mast shroud chainplates, the factory parts are about $1000. Professionally done in Kemah, the whole job is $6000 (based on a boat that just did it here as part of a sale).

Not sure if you need to do the mizzen too?

[labatt]

For some scary looking issues with older chainplates, check out the pictures on this SA thread (you'll have to log into their site to see the pics) (sorry for posting the link to a "competing" board, but the pics are pretty incredible)

Chain plate a go-go - Sailing Anarchy Forums

[sidmon]

I had to replace both of mine. A sister boat lost its mast because of a chainplate that failed due to crevice corrosion...

Here is the link to the Ugliness...

Note that it did not fail at the actual weld, but where the metal was continuously encased by the deck ...And like mine leaking under the deck base plate. Mine also showed the same kind of crevicing, so they had to go ASAP.

cira 1980's cheap Taiwanese steel.

[mitiempo]

I've seen the thread on SA before.
The good news here is the boat, a Crealock 37, has outboard chainplates. Access, at least on the outside is easier as is inspection.

[brokesailor]

hOLY COW rAIN dOG! i SURE HOPE YOU ARE WAY OFF IN THAT LABOR COST! BTW THE MECH DOING THE ENGINE REBUILD IS sOUTHERN dIESEL & MARINE, 281-808-3061.

[mitiempo]

While the chainplates are easy to get to on the outside, a lot of removal may be required to access them on the inside. That could add up hours pretty fast.

[jrd22]

We made ours when we replaced them as the factory parts were not available. We bought 316SS flat bar (over $400, wholesale. 11 chainplates) but it was not available in exactly the same size as the original plates so we bought the next size up and had a machine shop mill them down ($150) to the correct width. We had to cut them to length, bend an angle into some of them and round the corners and drill the holes (had free access to metal shop), which took quite a bit of time. The stock you buy is not smooth at all, and to get a mirror finish is extremely time consuming so we had that done at a shop as well ($350). The point of this is that even though $1000 sounds high for a few pieces of flat bar, it's probably less than you will have into making them and it will take a LOT less time.