Shroud / Spreader Attachment

[Dave-Shafa]

Put up my mast (Valiant 18') for first time last week.
The spreaders are wooden !
Just slots for the shrouds.

I have never seen wooden spreaders before.

 

[Salty John]

Put up my mast (Valiant 18') for first time last week.
The spreaders are wooden !
Just slots for the shrouds.

I have never seen wooden spreaders before.

My boat, Adriana, had sitka spruce spreaders. The ends were slotted and reinforced with an alloy strap and they were seized with wire to the shroud, bisecting the angle with it.

 

[rhumlady]

I have considered putting bulldog grips at each side of the spreaders with say 20mm between them and the spreader to allow for some movement. The grip wouldn't need to be very tight, just enough to keep them in place. I would think that any water running down the shroud would be able to clear through the grip and not be a problem corrosion wise. I like my mast down and completely stripped when the boat is not in the water so the shrouds would get periodic inspection and cleaning before being stored dry.

 

[vyv_cox]

I would think that any water running down the shroud would be able to clear through the grip and not be a problem corrosion wise.

Just to clarify. I don't believe that a clamp or something similar on a shroud is a significant corrosion risk. Even though such a fitting creates a definite crevice it doesn't stay wet for long once the air gets at it (when the rain stops!)

The problem with the plastic covers is that brackish water accumulates inside them. The water evaporates over time, leaving the salt behind. Corrosion of stainless steels is far more of a problem in concentrated brines than it is in seawater. I stopped using plasic bottlescrew covers when I found significant salt deposits inside them, with salty sludge down the wires and into the swaged end fittings.