I meant to post this a while ago: Here is what the boatyard in Berkeley did to improve the spreader. When I shipped the mast there they found out that one of the spreaders had developed a crack in the aluminium on the trailing edge. They could still weld the crack, but the root cause of the problem was a construction feature (or flaw) of single spreader S&S designs, which allows the spreader to move freely back and forth to better respond to loads on the mast when sailing. As a result, the lee spreader is kind of flopping back and forth when under way, hence the wear on the edges. The yard machined jackets around the stressed area of the spreader and also changed the connectors to the mast such that the spreader won't be able to move any longer (see picture). That should last the foreseeable future and was actually much cheaper than replacing the whole assembly. I never really like the sight of the floppy spreader so I'm quite happy with it!
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| New spreader jackets |
Other than that we rebedded the chain plates, and sealed the mast foot which was leaking a bit. So far no more rain water in the bilge! We'll see what else is leaking in the next big rain :-). Also, I got a shipment of balsa core and xbonded fiber glass to tackle the next big chore: replacing the soft spots in the deck and on the cabin top. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about that one, probably will start with the cabin top as it is a smaller spot and less conspicuous. In case I mess up it should be easier to fix..
As for cruising, we've been taking the boat out quite a bit, and I'm still marveling about the Martec folding prop, quietly but efficiently pushing the boat in and out of the marina and sometimes against the raging currents of the Carquinez Strait. I'm also getting a lot of practice reversing the boat into the slip. Not an easy task when it is windy, but so far no scratches to report!
