[Public-List] Spreaders

[John Brugeman]

Hi Gang,

I have a set of white oak speaders and identical tangs is anyone needs them.  We re-rigged our boat 4 years ago with new mast and rigging and these are just sitting in our basement now. 

Capt. John B
Mermaid #305 




________________________________
From: Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net>
To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
Sent: Sun, February 21, 2010 3:03:55 PM
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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