Day Sailer Fleet 64
Arlington, Texas(The Horned Frog Fleet)
DS II Chainplates - Wm. C. Waggoner
Edition #59 - Winter 1975
Over the past two years, several DS II owners in our area have experienced chainplate failure leading to bent spars and fracture of fiberglass surrounding the mast partner. Chainplate failure on one boat led to repairs costing over $300.
After a day of racing in heavy air last spring, I examined my chainplates and saw that one of the two starboard chainplate bolts was missing and that the remaining bolt was badly bent. Careful examination of the chainplate revealed the bolt was still anchored in the gunwale but the bolt head had twisted off. At Twin Rivers Marine, Red Bank, NJ, I consulted Paul (Sandy) Huntsman who had designed a heavier DS II stainless chainplate, which takes four bolts with two of them sliding through the originally drilled gunwale holes.
Chainplate comparison can be made in figure l. It is readily seen that shroud load is distributed over twice the surface area with the newer, heavier DS II plate (on the left). If one of the four bolts break, the attachment retains 3/4 of its holding strength and still 1 1/2 times that of the original plate.
Figure 2 shows the new chain plate bolted in place next to the external barber hauler. Figure 3 shows the attached shroud with the aft hole ready to receive the lift bridle attachment. Figure 4 shows the addition of a bicycle handle grip which acts to (1) reduce chafing of lines rubbing on the shroud turnbuckle and (2) provide a handle to assist the crew in hiking maneuvers.
The heavy duty chainplates cost about $12.00 for the pair and well worth the added insurance.
For Fleet information,
contact DS Fleet
Captain Manuel LeBlanc, 5519 El Captain Ct., Arlington, TX 76017
- Phone (817) 784-0910 or by e-mail to Chuck Hield - chield@earthlink.net
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