Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

[theboat]

I’ll throw this out just to see if anybody has any suggestions.<br /><br />My O’Day 322 shrouds never seem to be properly adjusted. The lee side shrouds become slack in moderate wind. I can’t tighten them any more without “hull suck” the hull where the chain plates are suck in a little.<br /><br />Does anybody have any suggestions about how to solve this? I have heard it's been a problem with the O’Day 322’s.<br /><br />My thought is to remove them and beef up the area with a glassed in reinforcement plate of marine plywood or custom stainless.<br /><br />Thanks in advance

 

[crab bait]

Re: Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

i haven't nary a clue what you just said.. but alittle epoxy an ply can beef up some 'hull suck' any day...i'll give my john henry on it..

 

[sloopy]

Re: Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

The chainplates are attached to bulkheads, you will need to tighten them**. The shrouds should go slack in when your healing 20 deg. how many shrouds does this boat have? 4 or 8?<br /><br />You can also join the sailnet.com oday email list! there are over 300 oday owners on that board and they would be glad to help you! just go to sailnet and sign up, IT'S FREE!

 

[sloopy]

Re: Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

Can you also explain the hull SUCKING that you have going on? is the hull poping out? or breaking the laws of physics and being sucked it?

 

[theboat]

Re: Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

Crab bait<br />You can’t go wrong with epoxy!<br /><br />Sloopy<br />My definition of hull suck comes from a snowboarding term called board suck. When you over tighten the binding mounting screw on a snowboard the bottom of the board under the screw sucks up forming an indent on the board bottom. I hope this is a good visual. If I tighten my turnbuckles past a certain point I start to notice (not immediately but after some use) the hull sucking in a little where the chain plates are. This has kept me from tightening the rig as tight as I would like. <br />I have 6 shrouds 4 lower and 2 upper.<br /><br />I’ll check out sail.net as well. I think that’s where I read that other O’Day 322s had the same issue<br /><br />I’ve had the boat since 98, sailed it to and from the Bahamas and love it. I’ve dealt with the problem since then and don’t believe it has decreased performance but I would like to address the issue for my state of mind. I don’t want to lose the rig.<br /><br />Thanks

 

[BillP]

Re: Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

Unless your boat is built too light, it sounds like you are WAY over tightening the rig. The wire needs to be just tight enough to keep the mast straight when sailing hard...no more, no less. It isn't supposed to twang or do any funny stuff like that. The boat will gradually pull itself apart if the rig is too tight. <br /><br />That rig is likely double fore/aft lowers (shrouds), single uppers (shrouds) with single fore and afts (stays). The lowers take most of the stress and leeward side can be loose during hard beats. If the rig is bending you may need standing or running backs (stays) instead of tighter shrouds...or maybe intermediate jumpers.<br /><br />There are too many variables in construction methods to tell how to upgrade your chainplates. I'd suggest going to a pro rigger and getting his input.

 

[flashback]

Re: Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

If I recall, an oday 322 has four lower shrouds and two upper shrouds. the fore and aft lower shrouds are fastened to metal plates that are glassed into the deck, the uppers are on chain plates that are attached to the main bulkheads.<br /> I would suspect some rot on your bulk heads which may be why the hull is flexing more than it should. check those main bulk heads and be absolutely sure they are solid and well glassed to the hull. the other thing I have done (I have an oday 27) is fabricate a stainless backing plate to match the chain plates and bolt it to the other side of the bulkhead.. alot better than fender washers...

 

[flashback]

Re: Reinforcing Chain Plates on O’Day 322

Joshua, I should have read your post a little closer, You already stated that you had 4 lowers and 2 uppers. oday boats have telephone poles for masts so it is hard to get any pre bend into the mast, but it can be done somewhat.. the two foreward lowers need to be beefed up by bolting a backing plate to the under side of the deck which is larger than the plate that is in the glass. as billp said they handle the most strain.....