chain plates Sadler 34

[cliff]

Any one removed the upper shroud chain plates from the deck and sucessfully replaced them?. If so how?
The lower shroud ones are easy to do, but I am puzzled as to how to do the other ones as they are attached to teh bulkhead and there are 4 bolts on deck to the underside of which there does not appear to be any access - are these through glassed in spreader plates?
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“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity”
Skype id:cliffillupo

 

[Cantata]

Suggest you post the query on the forum at www.mikelucasyachting.co.uk. Very helpful Sadler/Starlight tech forum.

 

[cliff]

Already there (no reply as yet) and as this is a more popular site I figured I might get a response here, apart from that, a second opinion never hurts. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
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“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity”
Skype id:cliffillupo

 

[DJE]

Cliff

On my Sadler 29 access to the underside fo the deck moulding is virtually impossible becasue of the moulded head lining. I understand that the 34 is similar. All the bolted-down deck gear that I have removed has been fixed in to tapped holes in aluminium plates that were glassed in to the deck. I have even drilled and tapped some extra holes for halyard clutches and the like.

I have never had the chainplates out but I have removed some of the genoa track bolts and the mast step pad and these were all fixed in to tapped holes in the aluminium plates. It's always a worry taking the first bolt out and expecting to hear the nut fall off the inside.

 

[cliff]

The lower shroud chain plates are through bolted with nuts and washers but are easily accessed - these have been removed and recaulked on both sides (one side had a slight leak so I did both sides)
I suspect the bolts fixing the upper (cap) shroud chain plates to the deck are either into tapped plates or possibly tapped into the heavy moulding. I would just like confirmation before I start hacking them out as they are not leaking yet but it seems a shame not to recaulk them as the other deck fittings have been done.
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“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity”
Skype id:cliffillupo

 

[DJE]

Cliff

Some people on the Sadler site have described using metal detectors to check for aluminium plates. The B&Q type cable finder things. But I couldn't get any sense out of one of them close to existing fittings. In the end I drilled a very fine hole through the deck at the proposed fixing position and checked that aluminium swarf came out. If not I was going to fill it up again with silicone or gelcoat filler. I suppose you could drill next to the chainplate to check; but if you are worried about deck leaks then extra holes are probably not the best idea.