J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment bent spreader brackets

I have a 1987 J29 fractional rig (same mast as the J30) with one or both spreader brackets slightly bent. Can anyone tell me at what angle the male part of the spreader bracket should be from the mast(straight out or slightly up)? Any information on how to make the repair will be of a great help.

I just finished putting mast away for winter and took the spreaders off to check condition.The brackets are slightly up by about 3/16 inch.There is also a crack in the weld and I am going to remove them and have them both repaired.The spreaders are loose on the brackets ,but I think this is normal,I hope.

I modified brackets to accept spreader bar I had made locally (to take load off rivets). email if you would like details. hunter@i-stat.com

The crack in the weld of the spreader bracket likely has nothing to do with the movement/play in the spreaders. I found my spreaders to have a significant amount of play (fore-aft movement) so I installed new spreaders. The new spreaders eliminated the movement - it would appear the old spreaders became internally deformed from the stainless steel male fitting putting pressure on the aluminum spreader.

We tig welded are spreader brackets after noticing small crakcs a couple of years ago.I inspected again last year and noticed cracking just outside of the welded area. Replaced last winter with new brackets from Kenyon. Keep and eye on the repair. PS noticed a small crack in the mast head crane on the after side of the mast this year. Anybody else??

The answer to the original post is that yes indeed, there is a port and starboard spreader bracket. When installed correctly, the spreaders tip upwards slightly. If you think about it a bit it makes perfect sense. The spreaders ideally should only be under compression, and if you imagine standing on the stern of your boat and look at the spreaders and shrouds, they will only be under compression when tipped upwards. Unfortunately, I don't have a measurement.

If you do a pile of research you'll find out that the only correct way to fix the J/30 speader problem is to put in a through bar. I hope to do this as soon as I find someone to make me one, and check on some dimensions.

You'll always have the following problems otherwise.
1) Forward rivets will keep pulling out.
2) Front rear welds on the spreader bracket spreader mounts will keep cracking.
3) Bracket plate attached to the mast will bend and ultimately crack.

If you weld a strap around the front of the mast to hold the two stainless spreader brackets together, you actually increase the loads on the spreader brackets because they are further restricted from allowing the mast to naturally move backwards and forwards as conditions vary. The rivets may not pull out, but the loads on a part that should be minimally loaded become high.

While buying brand new Kenyon /Rig Rite brackets is the easiest way to make your mast good as new, the brackets are quite expensive, and they leave you with a mast with the original problem. Seems like you can put a through bar in for about the same cost.

In reference to the reinforcing bar I read so much about can anyone describe what it is and how you go about installing same. Thanks in advance. Paul

Peter,

Sounds like you are actively working on MDB. Any chance you plan to return the boat to Toronto so we can square-off at LORC? I lost track of Dave Kalm, understand he went to work with a developer... talk to him lately?

Bar attaches to both spreaders. Passes thru slot in mast. Looks like a boomerang with dihedral. Often installed instead of bracket, but I took added step of removing tabs from brackets, slotting and remounting them, using the brackets (now plates) to surround and strengthen the mast where the bar passes thru. I have a drawing for my bar if interested. Looks like Rig Rite's. Remove brackets by drilling slowly with cobalt bits (135 degree tip, wide web), either 1/4" thru, or if you prefer to avoid scratching mast, undersize and partially thru and use pin to knock-out body of rivet. RigRite sells rivets. I borrowed a pop rivet gun from a rigger. hunter@i-stat.com

Don't underestimate "borrowing a pop-rivet gun from a rigger". 1/4" stainless steel rivets can't be done with an ordinary hardware store rivet gun.