How to inspect Typhoon chainplates

bamabratsche · Post by **bamabratsche** » Sep 5th, '11, 23:17

Greetings all,

I brought home a 1972 Typhoon last week, and have sort of been going over everything trying to prioritize maintenance projects. One of the things I wanted to do was take a look at the chainplate bolts and backing plates and see about rebedding them, but I can't figure out how to get to the darn things.

My problem is that, over the area of the cabin liner where the inspection ports are located, there is a sort of additional fiberglass housing that surrounds this area and extends the liner farther into the cabin and farther towards the center of the cabin roof. This additional housing also has inspection ports, but they do not line up with the inner ones, making it impossible to even see the undersides of the chainplates, much less take them off to rebed them.

I am speculating that the additional liner fittings are meant to provide more support to the mast to prevent cabin sag, as my Typhoon does not have a compression post. Anyone have any experience with something like this? They are only screwed in to the liner and attached to the roof with some sort of bonding material (5200? Polyester?), so shouldn't be impossible to remove, but I also don't want to mess with anything structural without first unstepping the mast.

I will try and post some pictures next time I make it down to the marina. Thanks for any and all comments.

seajunkie · Post by **seajunkie** » Sep 6th, '11, 01:12

Congratulations on your new to you Typhoon! Have you done a search for this on the forum on Typhoon Chainplates? There have been some good conversations on chainplates like this one from last year.

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... hainplates

The chainplates on my 25 were very different but the graphic makes it appear like you wont see too much.

Markst95 · Post by **Markst95** » Sep 6th, '11, 01:12

I also have a 72. What is your hull #? I'm not sure what you mean by lining up with the inner ones. I can reach into my ports and access the bottom of my chainplates where they come through the deck. None of the the boats were built with compression posts. Here you can see the port opening on the right.

[img]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo99 ... 030907.jpg[/img]

Hopefully you have the bronze chainplates as well, mine were in good shape after being cleaned up. You can see the backing plates aren't huge.

[img]http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo99 ... nplate.jpg[/img]

sloopjohnl · Post by **sloopjohnl** » Sep 6th, '11, 04:55

they are knees which can be found on later model tys for structural support as you mention. they were available as add-ons for older tys when cabin sag became an issue. you need to go thru two inspection holes to get to the chainplates. if you ease the tension on the mast you can remove the knees temporarily or for more permanent fix install a compression post.

bamabratsche · Post by **bamabratsche** » Sep 9th, '11, 19:23

Well, I was able to get a few photos when I was over at the marina last night, so hopefully this will clarify what I was trying to describe. Are these indeed the add-on knees people have mentioned?

I was able to eventually work my hand in through both inspection ports and feel around the bolts and backing plates, and since it was pouring rain was able to determine that there's a not insignificant amount of water coming through the starboard one. The backing plates (a long single one on each side) feel like stainless steel (i.e. smooth =P ), but the bolts feel like they have leprosy and a bunch of rust came off all over my fingers.

So I guess I'll put that on my list of things to do before taking her out--with a little maneuvering and maybe a small mirror I think I should be able to work a nut driver up in there. Also, my understanding is that CD positioned the chainplates so that the deck core is protected from leakage? Hope that's correct.

Markst, I've got hull #411, and have SS chainplates. Do you know if one can purchase the bronze ones somewhere? I've checked Rigrite and Spartan but neither seem to carry them. Not urgent since the chainplates themselves seem to be fine, but the bronze ones would look nicer. I like the bronze ports, too--mine are a lovely white plastic.

Also including a gratuitous exterior photo:

sloopjohnl · Post by **sloopjohnl** » Sep 10th, '11, 08:41

they are definitely the added-on knees. they fiit much better on the later model tys for some reason, maybe because they were factory-installed.

sloopjohnl · Post by **sloopjohnl** » Sep 10th, '11, 08:42

they are definitely the added-on knees. they fiit much better on the later model tys for some reason, maybe because they were factory-installed.