Chain Plates, Going External in 2000

Originally written and posted on 12 June 2012
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I have written much about this project and had kept it on the CSYsailboats blog I write so others with CSY's or interested in them can see what i did to update the original design to my solutions for strength and safety.

Here's a link to that
http://csysailboats.blogspot.com/search/label/Chain%20Plates

There are about a dozen CSY's now that have gone to this 10" diameter design which was designed and built to fit 'above' the original CSY rub rail.

Note:  A few owners have not used the 10" diameter I had designed but went to a smaller 8" diameter to save material cost. Some have also...not used countersinking and flat socket head bolts but rather used hex head bolts. I specified countersinking for my plates for a specific reason.  It was so that sealant would protect the shaft of the bolt.
*** Photos below show what happens to a hex head bolt on a chain plate...over time.***

                                     CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR ENLARGED VIEW

Water eventually gets under the HEAD of the bolt and crevis corrosion eats away the steel.   Shown here, under the hex head bolts used on the forward strap used for the head stay, that the original bolts snap off from crevice corrosion.

                  Beginning the process of removing the OEM internal plate/5 bolts through the toe rail.

New plate attached with 'Only' center bolt.  This makes it easy to then attach the original stay and turnbuckle to the new plate, then slightly tighten the adjustment to get the perfect angle on the plate in this slightly 'loaded' position.  Get this 'plate to stay' alignment before drilling any other bolt holes.

                          3 Plates aligned and tensioned. New Awlgrip paint job in progress.

A friend, Rick Heim of Gulf Coast Industrial Machine, a local fabulous fabricator, made many sets of these plates for CSY owners, but he is now retired.  Another machinist Larry Fordice, father in law of CSY owner Warren and Kathy Daniels, is possibly ready to make some using water jet technology-a great cost cutting method.

Here is the design I sent him first in regular size then supersized/but the edge is missing. sorry but this is the best I can come up with.