The chainplate design on the Endeavour 32 is pretty stout, with the chainplate assembly made up of an angle that bolts through the hull and nestles underneath the toe rail, and the chainplate is welded to the support angle with a gusset at the attachment point. Here's a sketch of the assembly (copied from Roger Long's website.....Cruising on Strider - 2011WinterProjects)
In the photo below you are looking at the top of the (starboard side forward lower) chainplate reinforcing angle and the chainplate is projecting up toward you out of the picture. The corner that cracked off is really brittle, and I don't think it would have taken much force on the stay under sail to separate the chainplate from the angle at the weld. Glad that didn't happen out on the ocean in a blow!
The other chainplates didn't look quite this bad, but I decided to go ahead and have the folks at Sunshine Welding make all new chainplate assemblies, along with the backstay chainplate. Better to play it safe and replace them all at once shot.
While Moon is out of the water and on the hard she's also getting a bottom job, buff and wax on the topsides, and all of her thru-hulls and seacocks serviced.
Camilla at Mermaid Marine Services is taking care of everything, and she does an awesome job. I don't have any stake in the business, but I would give her a strong recommendation for anyone on Space Coast looking to have work done on their boat.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can get the work done and Moon back in the water in about two weeks. I'll try to get a few pics of the new chainplates before they go in.
Once she's back in the water it will be time to re-tune all of the rigging, service the engine, and get her provisioned and ready to sail down to Fort Lauderdale in April. That's gonna be a hoot - bro Pat and Zeke are coming down to crew and we are hoping to get over to West End on the way if the weather is favorable.
Time for some chow. Later......
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