[C38] Stanchions

Chuck Finn charles at finn.ws
Sat Jan 29 21:27:58 EST 2011


Max,
Pictures would be good.  Starboard side?  One of the only ways aluminum 
can get in trouble is electrolysis.....

Chuck Finn
Mighty Quinn  #114
Great Lakes

On 1/29/2011 8:31 PM, Max Soto wrote:
> The weirdest thing is that the worm holes on the rails are not located 
>  near a single fastener. Thy are located on the sides of the rails... 
> Most of them on a single side.....
> Max
>
> Sent from my iPod
>
> On Jan 29, 2011, at 6:09 PM, S Orton <ssorton at hotmail.com 
> <mailto:ssorton at hotmail.com>> wrote:
>
>> I should of continued with the "worm hole" discussion, adding I don't 
>> consider it a structural problem unless a hole develops at several 
>> adjacent fasteners thereby destroying the clamping force between the 
>> hull and deck.  If it is a hole here and there, fill it with 5200 and 
>> forget it.
>> Cheers, Steve O
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:26:43 -0500
>> From: steve.ribble at gmail.com <mailto:steve.ribble at gmail.com>
>> To: listserve at catalina38.org <mailto:listserve at catalina38.org>
>> Subject: Re: [C38] Stanchions
>>
>> Don't know who made the toerail, but the same cross section is used 
>> by several different boat builders of the era so it must be an 
>> established extruder...I had the same thing on a 1980 Mirage.
>>
>> On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 1:11 PM, Chuck Finn <charles at finn.ws 
>> <mailto:charles at finn.ws>> wrote:
>>
>>     Steve,
>>     I called Garhauer yesterday about stanchions and the toerail. 
>>     Mike told me they never made the toerail as that is not something
>>     they are set up for.  He was interested in my idea of a toerail
>>     stanchion, but would make no comment until he had seen what our
>>     toerail looks like.  He offered to work with me on this after I
>>     got him some specs/pictures of our rail.  Does anyone have a
>>     cross-sectional view and/or measurements?
>>
>>     If I were to guess, I would say our toerails were made of T6
>>     aluminum as it extrudes and anodizes well and is one of the
>>     hardest and strongest types.  I have cut this stuff on a lathe
>>     and it does not remotely behave like ordinary aluminum!  You need
>>     ear protection.   I agree with Steve O. that low bidder could be
>>     our problem here, which of course would vary by batches and
>>     years.  All aluminum I am aware of can contain some small levels
>>     of iron, but I recall Grumman successfully figured out how to
>>     reduce this back when they were the aircraft frame folks.  By the
>>     way, don't try to weld on this stuff as it requires TIG and a lot
>>     of practice!  One more thing, aluminum can corrode when exposed. 
>>     The neat thing about this stuff is it almost immediately begins
>>     to form an impermeable skin as part of the corrosion process that
>>     essentially stops further corrosion and it is able to do this
>>     across a wide PH range.  Now you know pretty much all I know
>>     about this stuff!
>>
>>     Regards,
>>
>>     Chuck Finn
>>     Mighty Quinn #114
>>     Great Lakes
>>
>>     On 1/29/2011 12:19 PM, S Orton wrote:
>>
>>         Phil,  I don't think a backing plate is worth the effort- the
>>         underside clearance/access is very tough.  Use oversize
>>         washers if possible.  If the holes are rotted out, fill with
>>         epoxie and redrill.  My toe rail also has worm holes, near
>>         the gates.  I assumed the reason was low bidder on the
>>         extrusions with much more impurities included.  The aircraft
>>         specs would preclude what we a seeing.  Has anybody contacted
>>         Garhauer about this problem?  I can understand corrosion at
>>         the SS fasteners, but these worm holes appear unrelated.
>>         Cheers, Steve O
>>
>>         ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>         Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 10:09:44 -0500
>>         From: steve.ribble at gmail.com <mailto:steve.ribble at gmail.com>
>>         To: listserve at catalina38.org <mailto:listserve at catalina38.org>
>>         Subject: Re: [C38] Stanchions
>>
>>         Great thought about the backing plate, Phil.  I've always
>>         considered stanchions and lifelines to be expendable in the
>>         event of emergencies...that they were basically to break your
>>         fall, not necessarily there to support the weight of the
>>         world.  That said, obviously I/we don't want to replace these
>>         things every month or two so they need to be stout enough.
>>          It seems like one of the first things to go, when looking at
>>         the entire stanchion "system" is the through-bolt hole (as
>>         Phil indicated) and that a backing plate would disperse the
>>         loads/forces among the 4 bolts/holes rather than the two that
>>         experience expansion when torque is applied the the
>>         stanchion. Long story short, assuming we're all not going to
>>         run out and replace our stanchions for another design, that
>>         Garhauer already has the the backing plate (the base prior to
>>         welding to the stanchion tube) so it should be an easy and
>>         relatively inexpensive process to upgrade the holding power
>>         of our existing equipment.
>>
>>         On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 8:07 PM, Phil Gay
>>         <eyriepg at comcast.net <mailto:eyriepg at comcast.net>> wrote:
>>
>>             I thought I would explain what I think I know about
>>             metals from my aircraft engineering background.  I agree
>>             that the toe rail on our C38s is an aluminum alloy.  Pure
>>             aluminum does create its own oxide coating which retards
>>             corrosion.  But, when it is alloyed to increase its
>>             hardness and strength, it loses the ability to protect
>>             itself unless it has a pure aluminum cladding on the
>>             surface.  Typically these alloys have an anodic coating
>>             (the dark surface on our toe rails) or a chemical
>>             conversion coating which created this protective oxide on
>>             the exterior surface.
>>
>>             Near the bow of my C38 the toe rail has started to pit. 
>>             I don’t think it has progressed much lately with all the
>>             rain water that we get here in the NW.  I doubt that it
>>             has weakened the extrusion much at all.  I agree with the
>>             statements about the loads on the stanchions.  Later
>>             model Catalinas have the stanchions that fit into sockets
>>             molded into the toe rail as well as being bolted through
>>             base plates to the deck.  BTW I am pretty sure that the
>>             deck area where the toe rails are attached on our C38s is
>>             solid un-cored fiberglass.  A lot of the looseness of the
>>             bases is caused by the rocking of the bolts, and
>>             subsequent elongation of the holes, because they don’t
>>             have backing plates to hold them vertical.  I think that
>>             there are ways to securely attach our stanchions to the
>>             toe rail if they are also bolted inboard to the deck.  I
>>             have also thought about having the existing stanchions
>>             modified so that they angle outboard to allow more room
>>             to pass around the shrouds.
>>
>>             Phil Gay
>>             C38 049 Que Linda
>>             Everett WA
>>
>>
>>             *From:*listserve-bounces at catalina38.org
>>             <mailto:listserve-bounces at catalina38.org>
>>             [mailto:listserve-bounces at catalina38.org
>>             <mailto:listserve-bounces at catalina38.org>] *On Behalf Of
>>             *Anders Finn
>>             *Sent:* Friday, January 28, 2011 4:25 PM
>>
>>             *To:* listserve at catalina38.org
>>             <mailto:listserve at catalina38.org>
>>             *Subject:* Re: [C38] Stanchions
>>
>>
>>
>>             Really? I thought that toe rail was aluminum. Should be
>>             pretty resistant to salt corrosion. I think what my old
>>             man is trying to say is that the toe rail is at least as
>>             strong, if not stronger than the plywood under the deck
>>             to which the stanchions are currently screwed into. It
>>             would be interesting to know the dimensions of the toe
>>             rail if anyone has them (I think my dad is going up to
>>             measure in a few weeks) and I can figure out what kind of
>>             moment could be applied safely to the toe rail if one
>>             could find a way to apply the load evenly.
>>
>>             Anders
>>
>>             On 01/28/2011 04:06 PM, Don Strong wrote:
>>             The toe rail really is not that tough.  As well, in salty
>>             boats as old as mine (1980), the toe rail has some
>>             indication of chemical decomposition along the bottom
>>             side. I treat my toe rail with care. Like the rest of
>>             this wonderful 30 year old device, I hope it lasts longer
>>             than I last.
>>             Don
>>
>>             On 1/28/11 2:15 PM, Anders Finn wrote:
>>             Think about pivot point. If there is indeed only two
>>             bolts, the only thing keeping it from pivoting is
>>             compression between the plate and the toe rail. The bolts
>>             are there simply to provide a leverage point. That's what
>>             concerns me.
>>
>>             Anders
>>
>>             On 01/28/2011 02:13 PM, Chuck Finn wrote:
>>             This type of fitting is used by:  C&C, Hunter, PDQ,
>>             Bayfield, and Freedom yachts.  I think the footprint is
>>             the entire toerail, which is significantly stronger than
>>             our pad fastened to a plywood deck....   If I was to
>>             worry about strength, it would be the shear force exerted
>>             on the bolts if the toerail stanchion base is not a good
>>             fit with our toerail...  I would weld the stanchion to
>>             the base rather than rely on the throughbolt.  I can also
>>             comment on the strength of at least the C&C toerail as I
>>             have raced these boats and that means bounced a time or
>>             two off the lines and stanchions!  Have crewed Hunters as
>>             well, but don't remember the stanchion design.
>>
>>             I think my next step will be to contact Garhauer as they
>>             are reputed to have first made our toerail.  I also could
>>             easily fabricate my own bases that would incorporate
>>             Ander's ideas.
>>
>>             But, will it look pretty?
>>
>>             Chuck Finn
>>             Mighty Quinn #114
>>             Great Lakes
>>
>>
>>             On 1/28/2011 4:16 PM, Anders Finn wrote:
>>             Yeah, I just got a chance to look at this. I think Steve
>>             is right here about a large drop in torsional resistance.
>>             However, that being said, those stanchions forward of the
>>             cockpit are not really THAT strong. I would like to see
>>             at least a three bolt design with a larger outer plate to
>>             provide some surface to disperse the torque to the hull.
>>
>>             Anders
>>
>>             PS. They say they're used on Freedom 32's however, from
>>             pictures, I can't see anything resembling a toe rail that
>>             would support load on them.
>>
>>
>>             On 01/28/2011 12:42 PM, S Orton wrote:
>>             Chuck,  If I understand the concept correctly, it is a
>>             very poor structural design.  There is no foot print to
>>             react the outward cantilever force on the stantion- you
>>             need a four bolt pattern to react this force in all
>>             directions and I only saw two fasteners parallel to the
>>             toe rail.
>>             Cheers, Steve O
>>
>>             ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>             Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:27:31 -0500
>>             From: charles at finn.ws <mailto:charles at finn.ws>
>>             To: listserve at catalina38.org
>>             <mailto:listserve at catalina38.org>
>>             Subject: Re: [C38] Stanchions
>>
>>             Max,
>>             Here is the rigrite url:
>>             http://www.rigrite.com/Hardware/Stanchions_&_Bases/Stanchion_Bases_SS.html#SS%20Stanchion%20Bases%20that%20Attach%20to%20Toerail
>>             <http://www.rigrite.com/Hardware/Stanchions_&_Bases/Stanchion_Bases_SS.html#SS%20Stanchion%20Bases%20that%20Attach%20to%20Toerail>
>>
>>             As you can see, this would put the stanchion on the
>>             outside edge of our toerail and would eliminate the
>>             base.  This would result in a lot of room on the deck.  I
>>             am thinking of using two of the bases for the gate and
>>             then moving forward.  My issue about this would look is
>>             that I will have to connect to the stern rails and bow
>>             pulpit, which would remain as they are.
>>             I would also have to fill all the holes in the deck from
>>             where the plates were and re-route the holding tank vent,
>>             but that would be worth it for the extra room on deck and
>>             the elimination of possible leaks.
>>
>>             What to our C38 folks think?
>>
>>             Chuck Finn
>>             Mighty Quinn #114
>>             Great Lakes
>>
>>
>>             On 1/27/2011 11:21 AM, Max Soto wrote:
>>             Chuck, Did you send a link for the rigrite stanchions?
>>              Regards,
>>
>>             Max
>>
>>             2011/1/26 Chuck Finn <charles at finn.ws
>>             <mailto:charles at finn.ws>>
>>             One way I know it is sailing season is the scrape on my
>>             shin obtained as I climb from the cabin to the cockpit. 
>>             The other wound is the bruises on the side of both legs
>>             as I bang into the stanchions.  I love the look of our
>>             boats, but the design idea that the stanchions should
>>             follow the inward bend of the tumblehome really does not
>>             work for me.  There just is not enough deck for a guy my
>>             size.  I am still considering bending and re-welding the
>>             current stanchions into a vertical position, but perhaps
>>             even a better solution would be to remove the current
>>             stanchions altogether and going with a toe rail stanchion
>>             like you see on C&C yachts. Rigrite.com
>>             <http://Rigrite.com> has these.   Attaching stanchions
>>             directly to our toerail seems to be a viable option as
>>             the rail is really heavy duty.  Additionally, you can buy
>>             the bases and use the current tubing assuming it is not
>>             the light weight stuff Tom has commented on.   This would
>>             give us a lot more deck space for size 11 feet.
>>             Just thinking aloud at this point, but I really am tired
>>             of the bruising!
>>
>>             Chuck Finn
>>             Mighty Quinn #114
>>             Great Lakes
>>
>>
>>             On 1/25/2011 3:25 PM, Max Soto wrote:
>>             Good to know that they share the same foot print... If
>>             the removable stanchion's base also fits, I'll go for
>>             that one next time..... A little heavier, but if they
>>             bend, it will be so much easier to replace.......
>>             Thanks, Max
>>
>>             2011/1/25 Steven Ribble <steve.ribble at gmail.com
>>             <mailto:steve.ribble at gmail.com>>
>>             Max, yes...same foot print.  Garhauer has a square-ish
>>             base that I think are for removable stanchions and a one
>>             that's trapezoidal for the solid/fixed type, which is
>>             what mine are (also characterized by the "flat top").  I
>>             can't speak to the quality comment that Tom refers to, I
>>             just know mine have been on the boat for 30 years and
>>             only needed to be replaced because the over-wintering
>>             force exerted by the shrinkwrap caused them to bend.  I
>>             thought I saw reinforced/gate style stanchions on their
>>             website, but don't know about the footprint.
>>
>>             On Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 12:13 PM, Tom T.
>>             <tdtron at earthlink.net <mailto:tdtron at earthlink.net>> wrote:
>>
>>             After hurricane Dennis (the Menace) skirted Tampa Bay a
>>             few years ago with a near miss, we got tangled up with a
>>             piling with the surge and had our starboard lifelines
>>             damaged along with the stanchions on that side.
>>
>>             I replaced the stanchions near the rail at the aft end of
>>             the cabin with Catalina Direct stanchions. I replaced
>>             both sides so they would match.  My boat had standard
>>             stanchions and those stanchions should have been the
>>             reinforced gate entry types which are heavier and more
>>             expensive.
>>
>>             I didn't shop Garhauer and I probably should have but the
>>             original stanchions were JUNK so anything was an
>>             upgrade!  The metal in the replacement stanchions was
>>             much heavier gage and with the reinforced foot design of
>>             the gate type stanchion there was no comparison between
>>             quality or strength of the two types.
>>
>>             The reason I bring this up is some of our members may
>>             have stanchions like the ones I replaced which may be a
>>             disaster waiting to happen.  If the stanchions at the
>>             front of the gate are like the thin, weak ones like I had
>>             they could fail.  The thin tube original stanchions may
>>             be OK for middle of the lifeline mounts but where the
>>             gates terminate they are inadequate
>>
>>             Tom Troncalli
>>
>>                 ----- Original Message -----
>>                 *From:*Max Soto <mailto:maxsoto at gmail.com>
>>                 *To: *Catalina 38 Listserve
>>                 <mailto:listserve at catalina38.org>
>>                 *Sent:*1/25/2011 12:00:20 PM
>>                 *Subject:*Re: [C38] Stanchions
>>
>>                 Steve, do they have the same footprint???
>>                 Regards, max
>>
>>                 Sent from my iPod
>>
>>
>>                 On Jan 25, 2011, at 9:30 AM, Steven Ribble
>>                 <steve.ribble at gmail.com
>>                 <mailto:steve.ribble at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>                     Our stanchions are Garhauer...I replaced a couple
>>                     last season...about $50 each.
>>
>>                     On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 7:06 PM, Max Soto
>>                     <maxsoto at gmail.com <mailto:maxsoto at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>                     Hey Steve,
>>
>>                     I'm not surprised if they were made by
>>                     Garhauer......
>>
>>                     Regards,
>>
>>                     Max
>>
>>                     2011/1/24 Steve Smolinske
>>                     <SSmolinske at rainierrubber.com
>>                     <mailto:SSmolinske at rainierrubber.com>>
>>                     Does anyone know who made our stanchions?
>>
>>
>>                     Steve Smolinske
>>                     President
>>
>>                     425-227-4500
>>                     www.RainierRubber.com <http://www.RainierRubber.com>
>>
>>                     The information contained in this email may be
>>                     confidential and/or proprietary in nature and is
>>                     intended for the recipient of the email only. 
>>                     Please treat all information contained in this
>>                     and any communication with the 4M Company as
>>                     such.  Thank you.
>>
>>                     PBefore printing, think about ENVIRONMENTAL
>>                     responsibility
>>

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