[C38] Something to check

[Charles Finn]

I have been really busy getting the boat ready this year as it is major 
maintenance time!  I have replaced the main bulkhead, reworked the 
rudder post including welding the quadrant, installed a rudder position 
indicator, cleaned out the zebra mussels from the heat exchanger.....   
And am currently moving all my stantions out to the rail!   Don't worry 
Steve!  I will be writing some of these up for the magazine!
Plus, I have been busy retiring!  Thought that would be simple, but it 
seems everything I think will be simple these days....

Now to the disturbing discovery.  When I removed the stantions and 
started cutting off the bases in preparation for the move to the rail,  
I of course was looking at the weld area where the strap connects from 
the base to the stantion.  I had observed last fall when taking the boat 
out that at least one or two looked like they were cracked.   Turns out 
that SIX of the eight stantions were outright cracked or showed 
deformation at the weld!  When I cut the base off, I was able to easily 
remove the weld with my hand....
I suggest folks carefully examine this weld area as the stantions are 
made of light tubing and welds of course weaken it even further.  My new 
bases do not require welds as they have a long neck.
I am pretty handy with a mig welder and was able to repair these 
stantions for this year, but clearly my fall project will be replacing 
those stantions and lifelines!

By the way, turns out moving the stantions was not as big a project as I 
thought and not nearly as expensive!   Sailrite has stantion bases at 
half the cost of anyone else.

Regards,
Chuck Finn
Mighty Quinn  #114
Great Lakes