Chainplates-Part One

We finally found a machine shop that is going to make our chainplates.  Depending on the quality of their work, we're going to pull all our chainplates one-by-one and have them done through them.  We spent all morning yesterday removing the two staysail stay plates because they are the ones with the most severe cracks.    Frank, last week, had removed the brass chafe guard for the anchor chain and the wood framing underneath to gain full access to the chainplates.   These are to be screwed back in after the chainplates have been replaced.  The process was relatively painless with a few hiccups, including trouble with the pin that was holding the stay.  Apparently, it had seized and warped, from being on there for so long, so Frank had to sit there and file away at the end of the pin so that it would fit through the hole to remove the stay.  I also screwed up pretty badly and accidentally stripped the threads on the swage terminal.  This happened when I was holding it in place with pliers while Frank loosened the turnbuckle to remove the tension off the stay.  Now, because of my carelessness, we have to prioritize replacing that stay first so as to not ruin a perfectly good turnbuckle. We had originally planned on replacing that stay last since it was one of the more difficult ones as it involves disassembling the roller furler.  Oops...consequences for not paying attention!

Brass chafe guard plates

Down to fiberglass

Removing the bolts

Notice the stress cracks

As for the rigging, we're also going to replace it all (same time as the chainplates) removing them one at a time and bringing them to  either a local shop called Sailors' Exchange, to have them send it out for a good discount, or through a surveyor we just met that lives a couple of boats away.  He says he would do us a favor and get it for us at cost.  Did I mention that people down here are so nice and helpful?  All in all, the lead time on each shroud/stay is going to be about 2 weeks, so this whole process is going to take a couple months.  We're debating whether to send out each wire one-by-one, or just measure them all and have them all done at the same time so as to cut down the lead time....not sure yet.