Original spars - a cautionary tale

[Sabre27Admin]

mturvey
United Kingdom
10 Posts

Posted - 19/09/2008 : 17:51:23
Have a careful look at, around and underneath the stainless fixings on old aluminium spars.

I have just broken the (original Kemp) boom at the kicker attachment point by the simple expedient of having the kicker pulling hard in one direction and the topping lift in the other. It was all to do with a slightly panicky moment in big seas off the Owers light and the need to scandalise the main in a hurry (my favoured technique for getting a main down without turning head to winfd in big seas). Oooops!

When I got into Shoreham (interesting in a gusty on-shore F6) I realised that the boom was no longer straight: it had broken (looking at the cross-section) from 2 o'clock to 10 o'clock. Although I would never have been aware of the corrosion inside, the stainless fitting had caused sufficient deterioration to weaken the boom at that point.

New boom; inevitable new gooseneck; riveting of gooseneck to mast; adjustments to mainsail to fit slot in new boom and revised position of reefing pennants; rigger's labour; and, to top it all, 10 days stuck in Brighton Marina while it was all sorted out. Ouch!

Check the stainless fittings on your old spars! I now know - but didn't before - that the slightest discolouration around the edge of the stainless may well mean corrosion underneath.

Mark


Mark Turvey
Sabreon; Fareham
keith
United Kingdom
118 Posts

Posted - 02/11/2008 : 16:13:44
I just found our boom on Sabre Run is also heavily corroded under the kicker attachment point, just as well we didnt drive her on the way home!
I will be taking the crosstree fittings of as well shortly to check the mast. A friend who owns a Twister (same mast section)found his heavily corroded but it was repaired successfully.

mturvey
United Kingdom
10 Posts

Posted - 10/11/2008 : 11:14:14
As a postscript, I can add that the insurers will not pay for a broken spar if there is any evidence of corrosion. The view is that it's worn out and should have been replaced.

If you manage to break a brand new spar, that's a different matter.

Mark


Mark Turvey
Sabreon; Fareham