masthead F33 catketch

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Michel
Posts: 546
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:48 am
Location: Zaanstad, the Netherlands, EU

masthead F33 catketch

Post by Michel »

Message from Barry S.
===================
I'm busy cleaning up my mastheads for minor repairs and painting, and I'm
starting to wonder if everything is up to the task or not.

I've attached three pictures that I *hope* will come through to the group:

One showing how the mast top used to look, showing everything on one masthead
(from below) but the rotating block, and that is shown from the other masthead
(mostly cropped out of the picture)

One showing the eye strap hardware I removed from the masthead plate, and one
showing a collection of blocks.

I believe most of this is original equipment (from 1981) and most of it is
Schaefer, although I cannot be certain.

The eye straps consist of two smaller ones that have their plates "nibbled" a
little bit and just hold the flag halyards, so they only get small loads. There
are five similar ones; four were used for running backstays, and one held a
halyard block. The Black U-bolt type (Winchard) one held up the halyard block
on the other mast.

The blocks are mostly (if I remember correctly) used for reefing lines,
outhauls, and perhaps sheets. But there are two (Yellow arrow) that were the
rotating halyard blocks (Main & Mizzen wrap-around sails), and appeared
original. There are also two other large newer Llewmar blocks were attached so
they wouldn't rotate around the mast. (Mizzen staysail or Extra?/Spinnaker??? on
Main)

Now I'm trying to figure out if any of this *should* be able to hold my sails
up, or haul a person to the masthead safely!

Defender shows current Schaefer Eye Straps that look very similar. They have a
750 or 650 pound SWL, and that seems pretty light to me. I also note that the
flat plates are slightly deformed on some of them; you might see it in my
picture. The one through-bolted U looks similar to a part with a 2000 pound
SWL.

The closest equivalent I can find for the halyard blocks has a SWL somewhere
around 1700~2500 pounds.

So here are my questions:

1. Does the 750lb load for a halyard attachment seem wimpy to anybody else?

2. Has anybody had a failure with similar padeyes or eye straps on the bottom
of the masthead on their freedom? I know I've seen something similar on other
Freedoms, although they may not have been this light.

Thanks for your help!

Barry
---
s/v Flutterby, Freedom 33 cat ketch (becoming a junk rig)
Last edited by Michel on Sun Nov 15, 2009 4:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

User avatar
Michel
Posts: 546
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:48 am
Location: Zaanstad, the Netherlands, EU

Re: masthead F33 catketch

Post by Michel »

Barry,

On my mastheads, I had U-bolts with a backing plate on top of the mast. Your
padeyes totally rely on the weld. Not good. Better use Wichard forged padeyes or
U-bolts(cheaper and stronger). For flag lines it's not an issue.

Of the Lewmar blocks the cheeks always break; I have a bag full of them with
half broken cheeks. The original Sheafer blocks are very durable, but I have to
grease the pins regularly to keep them turning. Some of them have broken sheaves
which you cannot normally replace. I replaced several pins with bolts and new
sheaves because I wanted to keep these very durable blocks. Have a look at the
crane bolts too, a friend of mine broke the crane bolt and that's an impossible
job to replace with the mast standing; you can't normally access the nut unless
you take off the top plate or saw a hole in the mast to get to the nut.

Your top plate looks pretty ugly with corrosion; you need to check if the plate
is still firmly attached to the carbon fiber. I know of an F40 catketch where
the piece of tube welded under the topplate was so corroded that the carbon fiber of the mast split open
and the whole top rigmarole came off. The carbon fiber was corroded away as well, I heard. They had to shorten the mast to get it together again.
Hammerite has a very good non-ferro primer that keeps aluminum corrosion away
for ages.

Michel
Michel Capel, Freedom 44 #4 1981 'Alabama Queen', NED8188, cat ketch with wishbones, home port Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, 52*42.238'N 005*18.154'E.

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