Chainplate update

The chainplates are out at the machine shop for fabrication, and I'm gradually wrapping up the knee replacement. The backstay knee is still the big focus.The first day of glassing I applied 2" tape to all four fillets, followed by a layer of 24 oz. to the sides of the knee. After time to gel, I cut four strips of the excellent West 4" biax tape and glassed these in over the fillets. These strips were followed by four more offset 1" to the outside.


The following week I was back. After washing and sanding the previous glasswork,I cut glass for more offset strips of biax tape, as well as more 24 oz. roving for the knee sides. I glassed these in and also ran strips of 2" tape down the front edge of the knee. Yes, I missed a wrinkle or two along the edge! With luck these will sand out ok. Otherwise everything turned out well.

Heavy glass work on the backstay knee

I spent last Saturday (4/7) working on the boat, mostly concentrating on the backstay chainplate knee. Forgot the camera, so word will have to suffice. After a thorough sanding of the fillets around the backstay knee, I laid in strips of 2" tape along the top and bottom. Next came large pieces of 24 oz roving to cover the sides of the knee, followed by strips of 4" West 15 oz biax tape along the fillets. The biax tape is great to work with: tough to wet out, but very easy to laminate as it holds its shape and doesn't unravel.

I stripped the mainsail off the boom and took a few more measurements of the gooseneck, boom length, and other rig dimensions. The aft lower knees got their final coat of paint, and I cleaned up the awful dust. The recent rebuilding of the seawall near the slip has left a lot of bare ground nearby.

I promise more pictures soon!