Dan - I'll send you the drawing off line. After some research,I made mine out of 304ss

Russ - if you are agreeable, I can put the drawings on the J/30 server for people to access. I've been thinking about setting up a web page that includes a list of all the various drawings people have generated as a resource for the class.

I sent you cad drawings via e-mail. Let me know if you have problems opening these. If so, I'll have someone convert them to PDF or jpeg

Attached are files and information Russ Atkinson sent on chainplates he fabricated. These are also referenced on the J/30 Files and Drawing page

Here's a PDF of the drawing for the oversized chainplates. Please note my comments below:

• I had these made at a local fab shop. The plates were cut complete, including all the holes using a waterjet cutting machine. Material used is 1/4" x 304 stainless
• To simplify the drawings and the work required to install these, the overall width of 6.3" should be reduced by .375" and all the material should be removed from the outboard side.
• I did the initial layout for these chainplates on the starboard side of wildcat. I didn't have the sense to compare to the port side. After making the drawings and the parts, I found out that the port backing plate interferes with the cabinet in the head (starboard side backing plate is in the hanging locker and there is no interference). Also, the port side cabin light was in the way of the port chain plate. I had to move the light.
• My company sells complex CNC metal cutting machines so, for me, there was no problem in bringing the port chainplate and backing plate to my business and having my engineers mill off 3/8" from the edge. For me that was a lot easier than modifying the cabinet face in the head.
• Also, I used my old chainplate as a template for where the center 6 holes would go. I cannot guarantee that someone else's chainplates are made identical to my originals. That is important to check making these. To install these I merely removed the old ones, mounted the new ones using the 6 original holes and then drilled the additional new holes through the chianplate and backing plate. (Tip - drill holes half way from both sides).

So OK after 30 years, it was time for us to pull the chain plates off and check them out ... with so many people reporting required action.

Observations:
1. if there is staining on the bulkheads ... it is because the balsa has rotted in the deck around the chain plate.
2. After 30 years there is very minor signs of chainplate steel damage on #505.
3. Butyl rubber is the only way to seal the chainplate at the deck.

I elected to do a simple 1/2 plywood backer plate on the starboard side and bolted it into the hull flange ... only because I had taken the door and closet wall off thinking I would have to replace the existing plywood, but it was OK, not perfect, but not soft at the holes drilled in to it. So I just did a carpenter thing and sistered a 1/2 in. layer on the existing bulkhead. The port side had some staining on the bulkhead but sounded solid.

The birch laminate was stained and unfortunately looked like it would have been a real hassle to restore so I just painted enough to look clean.

Will advise how this program works in another 10 years.

Vic,

I just bought my boat last year, no way of knowing whether previous owner did much maintenance on his chainplates. No staining, bulkheads dry to a moisture meter and solid to the touch. What should I be doing to keep them this way?

Thanks,

Josh

Josh,

Pull your chainplates and check that the area around them in the deck has been epoxy sealed (e.g. no way for water to get to the core). Once that has been done, you can reinstall them. Use a good expandable caulk to fill the void between the plates and the deck with polyvinylsulfide or butyl caulk such as Boatlife, Sikaflex, etc. (not adhesive like 4200).

Josh,
I personally would keep a sharp eye out for any initial sign of clear water leaking especially after heavy rain or winter freeze ... but hold off. With your lack of symptoms in 30 + year boat, I would be afraid of pushing stick in hornet's nest ... Unless of course you are planning a cross Atlantic sometime soon. I am sure there are other things on your list.

I like the black rubber sticky stuff a real lot, if I had known about it 30 years ago ... it would have helped. Actually I did know about it as we used it to seal coax connectors going into radio antennas, but I didn't think.

let me modify this a bit ... take out one bolt and see if it is pitted, if so change all the bolts. A few years ago I did an old J/24 'salvage' and was surprised at the crap quality of the bolts used to hold the stanchion bases to the deck. I was reusing them till a couple broke off on the tightening step and realized they were internally compromised by corrosion.

I did change all the bolts when I put the chainplates back. Six had to be 1/2 in. longer anyway ... and then I added 3 fender washers where they fit over the nylon backer plate.

Thats valuable advice, I'll pull a bolt from the bulkhead and inspect. Thanks