[Public-List] Spreaders

Mon Feb 22 07:07:37 PST 2010

Yes, I did.  I made the new ones with 'straight' trailing edges and raked
leading edges, giving me a few mm of sweep.

And yes, I did flip the old ones over when I was grappling with the
extremely poor tuning SURPRISE had when I got her. - but didn't tell
anybody... Now I see I was not the only one to think along those lines!

G

On 22/02/10 10:00 AM, "crufone at comcast.net" <crufone at comcast.net> wrote:

> 

Gord, 

As usual nice write up. When you redid your spreaders did you plan
> to allow for some aft sweep back?  CB Currier mentioned in one of his posts
> that he reversed his spreaders to offer some sweep back to obtain some more
> mast bend to flatten the mainsail. On the original spreaders one face is flat
> and one is tapered. Did you copy this feature on your replacements as well? I
> assume that the tapered face faces aft? 

Michael 
----- Original Message
> ----- 
From: "Gordon Laco" <mainstay at csolve.net> 
To: "Alberg 30 Public List
> -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Sent: Sunday, February 21,
> 2010 3:03:55 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: [Public-List] Spreaders
> 

Hi Gang - 

I think I mentioned in the fall that while outbound on the Œ09
> Misery Cruise 
SURPRISE¹s port spreader fell off.  Her spreaders are of white
> oak, but with 
the ill-conceived addition of aluminium box extrusions around
> the butts. 
These extrusions are about 6² long and fit the wood very tightly.
>  They are 
pierced by the two 3/8² bolts that fix the spreader  to the
> tangs... And for 
some reason in three more places each where 5/16² bolts go
> right through the 
assemblies.   

Although I have worried (gently) about
> invisible rot developing inside the 
aluminium butts and poked judiciously
> each season when I put the mast up; I 
was unable to spot the fact that the
> port spreader¹s butt had turned to 
peanut butter deep inside. 

Today,
> spurred on by the spring-like weather, I knuckled down and sacrificed 
some of
> TOUCH WOOD¹s rib stock to make up a new pair of spreaders. 

The new ones have
> similar dimensions to the old, with the following 
differences.   I will not
> re-use the aluminium boxes... Instead I have 
saturated the last 6² of each
> spreader with epoxy then laid on a layer of 
fine glass cloth 6² wide and well
> wetted around each butt.  Once that cures 
I will drill through the two 3/8²
>  mounting bolt holes... Tape the bottoms 
and fill them with epoxy.  I will
> then drill them out again and reckon the 
insides of the holes somewhat
> sealed. 

Each spreader will get multiple coats of Epiphanes varnish, then the
> top of 
each will get several coats of white paint (one won¹t be able to see
> the 
white from the deck; and it resists the sun better than varnish  old
> wooden 
boat trick) 

The outboard tips will be finished re-using the old
> formed aluminium saddles 
to receive the shrouds and wire lacing... I will use
> #8 bolts instead of the 
5/16² monsters Whitby (or my Uncle Conny at Tom
> Taylor Co) put through them. 
I reckon all the bolts have to do is hold the
> tips on... The real work is 
done by the direct metal against wood contact all
> in compression.  Smaller 
holes means less wood lost in the tips, and less
> wood end grain for water to 
get at) 

I resisted the temptation to shorten
> the spreaders a little to improve the 
sheeting angle of the genny.  Alas my
> A30 is one of those with somewhat 
higher mounted spreaders  I really wish it
> were not so because the spreader 
tips press into the leach of the genny too
> soon.  However if I had cheated 
and that cheat resulted in better
> performance, I would feel like  whatever I 
won was poisoned. 

I know many of
> you have switched to tubular aluminium spreaders...but I like 
wooden ones,
> for no good reason.  If the old ones lasted nearly forty years 
despite the
> accidents waiting to happen built into them; new ones made 
thoughtfully
> should last even longer. 

The marina has received my new bow pulpit  back in
> December a trucker 
delivering a boat backed into SURPRISE and tore the old
> one out of the deck, 
not before turning it into a pretzel.  Naturally the
> trucker denied doing it 
but the marina courageously offered to make good.  I
> struck a deal with them 
to the effect that if they got me a new pulpit I¹d do
> the installation. 
Since I will have to tackle the deck core job up there now
> I have no excuse 
not to the cockpit sole job I have been putting off for four
> years now. 

C¹mon Spring!!! 

Gord #426 Surprise
> 
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