Where did this bronze come from?

[stevemac00]

This is trivial but after four years of owning the boat we found these buried in a locker. They're cast bronze. I'm guessing they'd be a rub/chafe protector but I can't figure out where. Two are slightly smaller. I've got some ideas where I'd like to install but I want to ask the other owners before I regret my installation.

[bjung]

Steve,
Hard to tell by the pics, how long are they? Flat or concave on the other side?
Bernd
PSC 31 # 83

[stevemac00]

About 12-14 inches long. They're flat on the back side. A total of four with two being about an inch shorter than the longer ones.

[RichH]

If your boat has metal dockline 'chocks' (formed as the letter 'c' laying with the open part of the 'c' being the 'upside'), then such are usually applied as extra chafing guards (on 'bright work, etc.) just below the chocks to guard against chafe damage from rope in case the rope ever gets loose and 'jumps out' from the 'chock'.

[arisatx]

As Rich says, could they be the chafe guards near the mid ships cleats on the edge of the caprail?

[bjung]

Doesn't look like anything on my boat. I would however use them to prevent chafing on the transom toerail by dinghy towing line attached to the aft cleats.

Bernd
PSC 31 #83

[orientalnc2010]

Hi Steve,
Do you presently have any rub strakes on the toe rail?
My 31 has rub strakes on the toe rail at the mid ship and stern cleats.

[steneck]

I've been looking for chafing gear like that to protect my hand rail from abrasion from my boom brake. The curvature looks about right for that.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by stevemac00

This is trivial but after four years of owning the boat we found these buried in a locker. They're cast bronze. I'm guessing they'd be a rub/chafe protector but I can't figure out where. Two are slightly smaller. I've got some ideas where I'd like to install but I want to ask the other owners before I regret my installation.

Steve,

My hunch is a previous owner bought those but either couldn't find a good place to install them or no longer needed them. For instance, they may have been intended to prevent chafe from docklines, but a move to a new slip with different geometry solved the problem.

Or, maybe there was some other hardware at some point (steering vane?) that required some additional anti-chafe where lines crossed gelcoat or toerail?

The only thing on our boat remotely like those is the the bronze cap over the teak rubstrake along the hull sides. But ours must be 15 feet long as they run the full length of the teak rubstrake.

P.S. I have a whole bag of stuff like that that came with our boat. Even after 8 seasons, I still have "Ah Ha!" moments when I finally figure out what the intended purpose was. So hold on to them -- the mystery will solve itself in the fullness of time.

[sailor50]

They are meant to be chafe guards on the rubrail or rubstrake of the boat.