[Public-list] thx for chainplate info and advice, and some thoughts on winter covers

[Don Campbell]

Lee;
    Just remember that polyester composites  do get very brittle below 32 degrees
Farenheit and there will be considerable mass in an Al30 hull that never warms up
above freezing from either the greenhouse effect of the shrinkwrap tarp or the heater
in the boat. In fact this may be one situation that exacerbates some of the leaks
that develop on the seam near the ballast.
    I have both my Alberg  hulls in a non-heated shed at home and refuse to go onto
them until their temp is above about 40 degrees F.  (No one here drives a 'Vet in the
winter for that reason too.) With the mast up, you will be stressing the hull in ways
that you had not thought about just from wind force on the mast, never mind movable
ballast as it decides to move for work projects. These forces are greater than you
expect because  the pads are below the centre of balance, so increased possiblilities
of greater forces  from leverage of hull and mast on the pads  fromthe  increased
moments,  and the bearing surface area resisting the forces will be very small and
much lower on the hull  than normal compared to the amount of the hull that normally
resists mast leverage when afloat.
    In my opinion, your choice is convenient but risky.
Don  #528 and #469

FINNUS505 at aol.com wrote:

> Hi Guys,
>
> Thanks again for taking the time to give the info and advice on the
> chainplate bolt replacement project. I'm just going to tackle the uppers and the
> backstay this year. I am going to remove the chainplates so I can give them a
> good lookover, as you recommend.
>
> It's gotten cold here in Mass now; 30's during the day, and 20's at night.  I
> guess winter is here. Glad I was able to get the cover on when I did two
> weeks  ago!!! If you remember....... :), I bought a piece of shrink wrap from the
> yard  last year and did it myself with a heat gun. I wondered if I was going
> to be  able to use the piece again, and now that it is up, and has survived our
> first  snow, I guess it is OK, and I'll share it with you all, in case anyone
> still has  to cover their boat, and is considering an alternative to tarps.
>
> For a frame, I used PVC pipe; I think it was 2" diameter for the ridge  pole,
> and 1/2" diameter for the ribs, or  'frames'. The ridge pole sat on  the bow
> pulpit, was lashed to the mast about 6 inches below the main halyard  winch,
> and was lashed to the backstay, about 6 inches below the lower insulator.  Each
> frame was of two halfs, each starting with 8 foot lengths, the two joining
> in the middle by slipping into an 8" long sleeve of PVC pipe that was big
> enough  inside diameter for them to fit into. I taped the two halfs in so they
> wouldn't  slip out, then I bent the complete frame into a semi-circle arch, the
> middle  pushing up against the bottom of the ridge pole. Then I cut the frame to
>  length so that the end would sit in the angle of the toe rail and deck. I
> put a  piece of carpet under the PVC where it sat against the deck/toerail angle
> and  taped it to the frame, so it wouldn't chafe, and tied a bit of line from
> the  frame to the nearest stantion, or car on the genny track, etc, to
> stabilize it.  I ended up with 9 frames spaced fairly evenly apart. To further
> stabilize the  frames, I ran a for and aft rigging line at the 'shoulder' of each
> frame,  starting at the bow pulpit, a clove hitch on each frame, and ending on
> the stern  pulpit.
>
>
> I made a hatch in the cover so that I can come and go to work on the boat
> all winter. I cut a rectangle in the cover about 3' high by 2' across where my
> ladder goes up the side of the boat by the cockpit, and taped the frames to
> the  shrinkwrap there to strengthen and stiffen the area. The flap that covers
> the  hole is taped in place along it's top edge. The flap is about a foot wider
> than  the hole, so it overlaps about 6 inches on either side. Four pieces of
> small diameter PVC pipe are taped across the inside of the flap to stiffen
> it.  To get in the boat, I roll up the flap, and tie it off with a line, to a
> loop  that is taped above the top of the outside of the flap. When closed, the
> flap is  secured down with two lines, each being taped to the inside of the
> flap, and  each being tied to a wrung of the ladder. The ladder is made of 2x
> 6's, and so  is really heavy!!!
>
>
> Last spring I cut the shrink wrap off at 'strategic' places, planning to
> reuse it again this year.  Indispensible to being able to do this is the  white,
> industrial shrink wrap tape that comes in 4 inch widths.  Though a  little
> expensive, 20 bucks for a roll, it is nice to work with an industrial  product
> that really works, as opposed to so many consumer items which don't, and  are
> just a waste of money.
>
> When covering a boat with the mast up, how to keep water coming in the  holes
> around the mast, stays and shrouds is always a problem. I didn't do such a
> good job last year. :) This year, I got the main shrink wrap as close to these
> structures as I could, then I made an additional boot out of shrink wrap and
> the  white shrink wrap tape, and got as good a seal as I could.  I had to get
> the boot around the mast and stays before the shrink wrap was settled around
> the  hull, because once it was, I couldn't get to those places from the
> outside.
>
> It's hard to describe the pattern I made to deal with the shrouds, but
> basicaly, the cut for the shrouds is a for and aft, horizontal line at the level
> of the tops of the lifeline stantions. This cut meets a vertical cut abaft the
> last shroud. Once the shrinkwrap is placed on the rest of the boat and the
> vertical cut is taped closed, the horizontal cut is taped with the shrink wrap
> tape. I didn't tape directly to the shrouds, because I will be loosening them
>  this year when I do the chainplate project. But otherwise, I think taping to
> the  shrouds themselves would further help keep water out.
>
> There is something so cosy about pushing through a boatyard full of snow,
> clambering up a ladder into a covered boat, getting the heater going and doing
> work on a boat in the winter. Bring a thermos of hot coffee, for sure!!!!!  :)
>
> Lee
> Stargazer #255
>
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