Broken Chainplate on 1995 IP37

[NormR]

Hi,

The portside, forward lower shroud chainplate broke yesterday. We are on the hard at Peake's Yacht Services in Trinidad. A workman leaned on it and noticed it was loose. Paula thinks she heard it part. We've had a couple of earthquakes here. There was a rattling in the rigging like an earhquake, but no one else felt it. So she thinks that the mast rattled when the chainplate parted.

I posted photos at: http://www.islandpacketphotos.com/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=982

The first question: Should the other three lower shrouds be loosened to even the load on the mast?

How can the other 7 chainplates be inspected? For example by X-ray or by drilling drain holes and checking for no liquid or clear liquid? Or should I replace them all?

Are the three chainplates on the side connected together? Should all three be removed and replaced as a unit?

Does anyone have pictures of replacing chainplates? I'll be looking on the IPPhotos site.

Drilling drain holes:

How far down from the bottom of the deck do you drill the holes? What spacing betwen the holes and how many left to right along the bottom of the chainplate? How large are the holes?

Norm Radder
s/v Realtime IP37 #21

[longwaterline]

that's not supposed to happen on a Packet

[NormR]

Everyone I talk to says that IP has a very poor design for its chainplates.
Can't be inspected. Have to tear the boat apart to fix.

Norm