Spreader base borken

timlabute · Post by **timlabute** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:53 pm

Hey all! VERY happy to have found this site! I just bought my first sailboat! I am stoked to say the least. I do not know much about sailing, but I bought the boat in Pikes Creek, Ontario, Canada and sailed it the 20 miles home to Lighthouse Cove, Ontario, Canada during a pretty heavy thunderstorm in 6-7ft seas on Lake St Clair.

The boat is a 1980 Chrysler 22. It is in fine condition (was) and came with a 6hp Johnson 2 stroke. 8 sails included (haven't sorted through them yet). No electrical system but I am working toward a solution to that.

Anyhow, on to my question. She is on the hard for the winter, but when I was dropping the mast, I found the starboard spreader to be at an odd angle. Investigating, I found the spread base to be cracked all the way through.

"Free Ride" as she is called, uses the stock 7/8th round spreaders and bases that are diamond shaped with four screws that hold them to the mast. Out of the base, an aluminium rod protrudes. The spread goes OVER the protruding rod and a cotter pin keeps it all together.

The starboard base broke. The protruding rod broke off almost flush with the base. Local machine shop wont even look at it.

What are my options? I have been digging through your excellent forum and some have found machine shops to fix this issue, while others haven't.

Thoughts? Thanks for reading. Tim

timlabute · Post by **timlabute** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 1:55 pm

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 3764_n.jpg

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 6:06 pm

Welcome!
That is a fine looking 22 you have there!
If you can not find a replacement, you can use a stantion base easily found at west marine. Next option would be to upgrade the spreaders to air foil type which several of us have done!

Don't fret, you have options!

Scott

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:35 pm

Welcome, nice boat an you sailed it home in a storm that makes you a sailor, good to have you on board

timlabute · Post by **timlabute** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 5:56 am

Hey. Thanks! I am happy to have found you guys! Yes the sail home was brutal.. Ran #3 jib with the main reefed (look at me using proper terminology! lol) and the motor screaming the whole way to keep us in power. The gusts were bad and we only almost laid her down once. We did quite well.

You say I can use stantion base? I never thought of that! I do not however have a west marine. My worry is drilling new holes in the mast if the new bases holes don't line up exactly. Does this not weaken the mast?

Alternatively, do you have a ballpark of total cost to go air foil?

Thanks so much guys! Much love from way up here in the snow

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:32 am

Hey Tim,
Here is a link to a previous discussion on spreaders:
viewtopic.php?t=2769&highlight=spreaders

3rd post or so there is a link to dwyer mast. That link has all the current prices. IF memory serves me correctly when I did mine it was about a 150 bucks.

Extra holes in the mast are not a problem if you are prudent about it. For example do not make your mast look like swiss cheese! LOL!

The new brackets for the airfoil type and the stantion base will not align as far as holes go. HEre is a photo of one of my old boats where I used a stantion base:

Worked fine and was very cheap. I did both sides so it looked balanced. remember the bas is flat and the mast is curved so you'll have some space. It is not a perfect solution but it is a cheap and very adequate solution! I believe it was around ten bucks a base at the time.

Scott

Alanhod · Post by **Alanhod** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:34 am

First off Welcome aboard ship mate! That is one fine looking C22 if I say so myself. And I do say so myself.

I'm with Captain Scott on the Spreader issue.

I will toss in my $.02 on the wiring. Start from scratch...

All new wires.

All new main panel.

All LED's inside and out. This took my power draw down so far that my solar panel is all I've used on my battery since 2009.

Get a solar panel with a built in regulator so as not to over charge your battery or drain it when the sun goes down.

Get as big a deep cycle battery that you are comfortable with. One big battery is better then two small ones. Or even better yet get a Glass Matt battery. I'll be switching to Glass Matt whenever my deep Cycle gives up.

Solder all connections then seal over the connections to keep out the corrosion.

Thanks
Alan

timlabute · Post by **timlabute** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 11:43 am

Awesome pic CaptainScott! I appreciate it! I think that is the route that I will go... You guys are awesome!

As for electrical, here is what I have purchased so far:

60ft red/black USCG approved 16awg marine wiring (likely need more)

6 gang marine switch panel with led and built in 15amp fuses

2x 16ft lengths of led strip lighting (please to run under shelves in cabin, both sides) Strip lighting is almost paper thing, 3/8inch wide completely flexible with 300 led's per 16ft

2x Large marine deep cycle batteries (dont have exact numbers right now) came with boat. They are off a 40ft Searay power boat house banks. Both 1 year old. Good working order.

New windex with built in led mast light (going to use existing mast wiring if it proves in good shape)

Clarion CD stereo with some automotive speakers for the cabin (location undecided)

New LED nav lights and new LED stern/all around light

Still to figure out is location location location for everything, and quite a bit more but I am off to a decent start

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 4:37 pm

Very nice looking boat you have their, I have a question with photo 2 not sure what that is, if it is the rudder and needs a little work. Also the rudder looks like the prop from the outboard a bite out of it. Photo eight shows a nice picture of our zebra mussels. We have a lot of bows around here, they love to plug up the water intake sound outboards. They were brought to the Great Lakes by freighters, and I guess are here to stay. On your spreader base, that is much different than what I have on my C 20 and see 26. On my boats the spreader base is held in place by a 9/16 bolt that goes through the mast, it holds the spreader base in place on both sides of the mast. Also on mine, the fore and aft stays are fastened to the base. Yes you do a great job posting photos. I been on this farm for seven years and I can't do yet.

Anhinga · Post by **Anhinga** » Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:23 pm

For hardware such as spreaders and wire, try www.rigrite.com. They have been helpful in the past with spar work on some of my prior craft. I have also used Catalina direct for parts such as deadlight gaskets. We don't tell Anhinga she uses parts from the other "Brand C" manufacturer and she doesn't seem to care

-JK

timlabute · Post by **timlabute** » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:12 am

Thanks guys! Yeah the Zebra's are a pain. I havn't scraped them off yet. I though the rudder in pic 2 look odd too. I will look for a pic on the internet of what it should look like to determine what is wrong with mine

mariner · Post by **mariner** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 5:34 pm

It may be late, but for what it's worth, I had my spreader bases break also, gave them to a guy who welds aluminum, he fixed them up and they are mint! A local welding shop that works with aluminum should be able to help...p.s I'm a big fan of repairing and trying to keep thing looking close to OEM.

lecker68 · Post by **lecker68** » Sun Mar 03, 2013 6:10 am

Welcome aboard and my C 26 has the same base and I did the same as Captain Scott and it works fine

timlabute · Post by **timlabute** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 5:39 am

Thanks! I have purchased stanchion bases already and am awaiting warmer weather so install them. I actually have some heavy plastic that I am going to cut some pads out of. About 1/4 thick and curve one side to match the mast, leaving the other side flat to match the stanchion. Should make for a nice fit if I take my time.