Typhoon chainplates

[PortTack]

Looks great! Did you have to cut a larger hole to get access, or were you able to manage with the little wooden circular hole that was original? Also, where did you get your backing plate? What dimensions? Thanks!

[jtjc53]

Hello. I am hoping someone is still checking this string. Our 1974 Ty Weekender's deck mounted chainplate for the starboard upper and lower stays failed while we were sailing the boat yesterday (fortunately, we were able to sail back in on port tack). The forward most of the two through deck bolts sheared and the front part of the plate bent upwards. Looking closely at the top half of the sheared bolt, the corrosion on the shear surface makes it obvious the break had occurred some time ago, probably before we bought the boat two years ago. We'll be replacing all of these bolts on both sides, of course.

We will remove the bent deck plate and try to bend it back for re-installation, but I'm also trying to find a replacement for that plate. Can anybody offer any leads on where to find it?

Thanks!

[Ben Miller]

Yikes! I'm sorry to hear you had a bolt failure. Glad that it turned out ok though and you didn't lose anything more serious, like your mast.

I took a look at https://www.rigrite.com and didn't see this chainplate there. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough?

It's a simple-enough piece that you could look for a local metal-working shop to construct one for you. You might also try starting a new thread or (ugh) posting on the Cape Dory Typhoon Owners Facebook group.

Good luck!

[jtjc53]

Thanks, Ben. We took the mast down the other day and removed both deck plates and all four bolts. While all three of the other bolts still looked okay, we're going to replace all four just to be sure. I still can't figure out how our mast stayed up on some windy and very choppy starboard tacks (we sail in Monterey Bay, CA), given the amount of rust on the broken edge of that one bolt (it was the deck plate end where the starboard upper attaches that bent up). I think that bolt has probably been sheared for longer than the two years we've owned the boat. With a vice and some carefully hammer work, we were able to get the bent deck plate back to its proper shape, so we'll be re-rigging and sailing again soon.