Spreader Part

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:15 am

I'm working on restoring the mast. I don't know how to describe it other than there was a white plastic pocket that went between the spreaders and the bracket. It locked the spreaders in the socket. It was disintegrated when I bought the boat, a US Yacht 25. I had someone hold a tape while I snapped some pictures. Also, I may be missing an aluminum end piece from one of the spreaders. Any info on where I might be able to purchase these would be great.

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Hirilondë · Post by **Hirilondë** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:08 am

It sounds like this plastic piece was a bushing between the socket and the spreader. From your pictures it looks like the socket/bracket is stainless and your spreader is aluminum? If this is so the 'bushing' was to isolate these from each other for galvanic corrosion reduction. But whatever reason it was for you can use any material that won't cause a corrosion issue.

You could wrap the spreader in fiberglass tape soaking it in epoxy as you wrap (as in all epoxy applications a good sanding/prep job is called for). Build it up until you have a tight fit and sand it smooth and until it fits and paint it.

Heck, if you are in a rush to launch you could get away with wrapping the spreader in white electrical tape until you reached a reasonably snug fit. The forces on a spreader if the mast is rigged properly should be almost exclusively compression. The bracket is merely an anchor and guide.

Getting the original piece is probably easiest, but we all know how hard most design specific parts for older boats are to get.

feetup · Post by **feetup** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:20 pm

Hi Mike.

The spar and spreaders on your boat were made by Kenyon. There were a few changes but the spreader section is most likely an SP-2 or SP-2.2.
Many of these parts are still available from Rig-Rite inc. , located in Rhode Island if I remember correctly. They sell over the internet if I'm not mistaken, try www.RigRite.com and go to the Kenyon spars section and match your spreader to the dimensions listed then follow that link.
The idea already expressed of building spreader insulators from epoxy- glass is as good as any. but the outboard tips would be a little more complex to do. If it is within your capabilities to do it I wouldn't hesitate, just remember to protect the epoxy well from ultra violet radiation.

keep us all informed

Feetup

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 1:15 pm

If you do go through Rig-Rite, I'd be interested to know how the process goes. For what seems like the last two or three years I've gotten a phone message saying they'd just been through a fire and so could only take orders by fax. I did get my parts that way, but I found it annoying.

Rachel

Post by **Tim** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:14 pm

I had a useless experience with Rig-Rite a few years ago, for what it's worth.

Link: Here's what I wrote about it at the time.

Your experiences, of course, may vary. I hope they do.

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 2:45 pm

I had almost forgotten about that banding tool. That thing rocked! I would definitely add that to my list of must-haves for bluewater cruising.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 11:46 pm

You guys are awesome... especially Feetup!!! Thank you!

From the rigrite site -
Kenyon Spars 3049 Mast
Common Mast usage-untapered: AMF Cat 18; Balboa 27*; Bayliner BU 240, 270, 285; Great Lakes 23; Merit 25*; O'Day 23F; Paceship PY 23*; Parker-Dawson 26*; Pearson 23, Triton 23, Triton 25; S-2 6.8; Sundance 23; US-25*, US-27

3049 Spreader Socket Bushings: K-9407P (pair):
Plastic insert bushings for use with SP2 or SP2.2 Spreaders and K-1290 socket-type spreader base. Bushings cushion spreaders inside spreader base socket allowing limited movement, and feature cutouts for use with pass-through shroud tangs. As used on Etchells 22, and older J/24's.

So the official name is called a spreader socket bushing. Now I wonder how much a pair will set me back? I'm hoping that I can find the missing spreader tip, I can't remember if it was there when I purchased the boat or not. The previous owner disassembled all of the rigging. He also left the boat outside at his in-laws which had the hugest barn I have ever seen. There was an entire riding arena inside it. If only he had stored it inside, there wouldn?t be the core rot, etc. I've never met a group of more intelligent, helpful people than on this forum. It's amazing you can still find parts for a 27 year old boat. I'll post about what kind of service I get from Rigrite, and what kind of prices.