[Public-List] Spreader Material

[David Gilbert]

My Club, ABYC in Toronto, is moving towards a mast up haul out for  
certain larger vessels. I will not take advantage of this because  
dismasting an Alberg 30 is very easy given the right equipment and  
people. ABYC is a self help Club and sports both. I loosen the rig,  
replace the locking rings on the clevis pins with a length of copper  
wire, very easy to remove. Then take the clevis pins out of the  
forward and aft lowers and let them hang loose; move to the mast crane  
area. Put the straps around the mast and lift to just below the  
spreaders. Good idea to have a secure line pulling down on the strap  
and secured at the base of the mast. Remove the footing bolt, ensure  
the strap now has the weight of the mast. Remove the four cardinal  
uppers, lift the mast and it's done. The copper wire/clevis pin method  
beats turning off turnbuckles by several minutes.
When we had the boat in Prinyer's Cove for 7 years we never took the  
mast down. Conventional wisdom says to always take it down to inspect  
the swaged fittings. I asked Bruce Burgess at the rigging Shoppe about  
this and he told me that the only way you can identify weaknesses in  
the swaging is by Xray. So it stayed up. Of course I have aluminum  
spreaders but, if they were wood I would want to inspect them every  
year.
David
On 7-Oct-13, at 2:07 PM, Dominic Amann wrote:

> I noticed you suggested that it is a good idea to take down the mast  
> for
> winter. I assume you have not yet done so for your boat? If not,  
> would you
> accept a volunteer to help (so I can learn how it is done for my own  
> boat)?
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 11:57 AM, Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net>  
> wrote:
>
>> Very interesting Greg.
>>
>> Black locust is wonderful wood.  We're making block shells out of  
>> it, and
>> I'm planning on using it for the toe rails and rubbing strakes of  
>> my wooden
>> boat as part of her rescue.
>>
>> Best of all, when varnished it's got that lovely blonde look white  
>> oak has.
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>> Gord
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 07/10/13 11:53 AM, "Greg Bover" <gregbover at cbfisk.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I think I recognize the wood properties chart from page 4-7 of   
>>> The Wood
>>> Handbook: wood as an engineering material, put out by the Forest
>> Service. A
>>> well-thumbed copy sits on my desk in the organ building company  
>>> where
>> I've
>>> been a wood worker and designer for 35 years. It is available at  
>>> many
>>> libraries, especially academic ones, and can be had for cheap second
>> hand at
>>> Alibris. Hickory does have great compressive strength parallel to  
>>> the
>> grain,
>>> but is in the grouping of "slightly or non-resistant" when it  
>>> comes to
>>> decay, (page 3-18). The best domestic wood with the highest  
>>> compression
>>> rating and in the "resistant to very resistant" category is black  
>>> locust,
>>> followed closely by white oak. The book goes on to say that decay is
>>> hastened by water intrusion, so as others have mentioned, keeping  
>>> the
>> finish
>>> up and the bolt holes sealed is the key to longevity.
>>>
>>> Greg Bover
>>> A-30 #114
>>> LINNET
>>> Gloucester
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
>
> -- 
>
>
> Dominic Amann
> M 416-270-4587
> _______________________________________________
> These businesses support your Association:
> http://www.alberg30.org/store/A30supporters.html
> Please support them.
> _______________________________________________
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