Jib fairlead track screw replacement

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Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby KingsTransom » Sat Aug 06, 2016 3:49 pm

Hi all,
The jib fairlead tracks on my boat are near the cuddy door, on the seat backs (making them, at that point, something other than seat backs). The center screws are SS, but the larger end screws are not, and are rusty. I have tried removing them to replace with SS, and got two free, but two remain. The ones I could remove were rusted down to a point, which broke, that being the only reason they came free. These screws are machine screws, and the ones remaining turn freely without advancing.

Any ideas how to remove these screws? I suppose I could hold the head with vise grips and drill out the center, remove the head and push the rest inside. Then the question becomes what to use as a replacement. Machine screws would require that I cut a hole for an inspection port, on each side. Large enough wood screws probably require a larger hole in the track, and may not hold as well.

Since these are machine screws and there is no access to the back side, I must assume these are original equipment. While academic, I have to ask why these were not SS.

Thanks,

Scott
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby GreenLake » Sat Aug 06, 2016 4:11 pm

Scott, the fact that the screws are of different size makes we wonder whether they are all original. Usually, in production, you avoid having different screw sizes unless there's a compelling reason. On my DS1 the screws for the fairleads were all the same size. I have found some rusty screws in other places on the boat, but in places where substitution by a previous owner is a likely scenario.

In your case there's a hidden backing plate. It may have been tapped, but if any screws turn freely, it could be stripped.

Your plan seems fine. If you can get the fairleads off, you can then fix this issue thoroughly. You are right, this will involve adding an access port, but that's not something that should necessarily scare you.

If after installing the port and doing some inspection you find that there is a good metal plate, you have several options. The cleanest might be to re-drill the holes one size up and to use washers and nylock nuts on the back. Realistically, you are not going to remove the tracks very often. (If you are at all unsure whether you are happy with the tracks the way they are, now would be a good time to make any upgrades).

If you find that the backing plate is not in a good shape, you may need to chisel it out and replace it by something better. If you will use washers and nuts, instead of tapping the plate, then you can create your own by laminating a strip that's 3/16" or 14" thick and gluing that in place.. It's a pit more effort than just cutting a piece of plywood or metal, but you are sure not to get corrosion issues.

Others have done backing plate upgrades, you'll find their experience in older posts.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby TIM WEBB » Sat Aug 06, 2016 8:43 pm

This is a common issue on DS2's, and is covered in Roger's book:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1346

On TRW, I just drilled 'em through to the outside of the coamings, and fixed them in place. This was before I found out about the book, and the proper repair which involves inspection ports on the inside cuddy walls, and large diameter washers on the inside. The backing is glassed-in wood - no tapped holes in metal. (Pics courtesy of Roger Conrad.)

1009 1010 1011
Last edited by TIM WEBB on Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tim Webb
1979 DS2 10099 The Red Witch
(I used to be Her "staff", in the way dogs have owners and cats have staff, but alas no longer ... <pout>)
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby KingsTransom » Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:00 am

GreenLake,
What I have seen here and in photos elsewhere is the larger screws on the ends of the track to prevent the removal of the fairlead car from the track.

I'll probably put a dab of silicone over the open holes for this season. the location of the track makes the forward seats unusable, but also makes it easier to sail single-handed. I'll need to try it before I decide if I want to move it.
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby jeadstx » Sun Aug 07, 2016 2:37 am

I repaired my tracks a couple years ago. I put " inspection ports below the tracks so I could access the backside. The wood backing plate had rotted. I ground away the fiberglass cover and install large flange SS washers with SS nyloc nuts on the inside (using SS machine screws. As mentioned, the end screws are larger to act as stops for slide. My originals had a mix of non-SS and SS as well. Maybe at the time they had problems getting one of the two sizes in SS, who knows. My tracks are on there solid now.

John
1976 Day Sailer II, #8075 - Completed the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Texas 200
1952 Beetle Boat Swan Catboat
Early Rhodes 19
1973 Mariner 2+2, #2607 - Completed 2014, 2015 and 2016 Texas 200
1969 Day Sailer I, #3229
Fleet 135; Canyon Lake, Texas
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby GreenLake » Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:56 pm

That sounds like a model-year specific issue, then, with the curiously sized screws.
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby DigitalMechanic » Sun Aug 07, 2016 3:10 pm

I had this problem. I got plastic marine plywood and put a sheet behind the coaming, and then drilled new SS screws into the middle section of the track. I used larger SS machine screws on the ends to keep the jib fairlead from being able to slide off. The end cap machine screws are backed with SS washers and nuts. The coaming feels solid now and has much much less flex due to the distribution of load across the marine plywood backer. My inspection ports to get to this were located inside the cuddy on the sides of the bulkhead and allow access to the inside of the seats and coaming walls.
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby carl10579 » Thu Aug 11, 2016 12:06 pm

Use "Silkaflex" instead of silicone. My DS came to me with the fairleads moved up onto the rail moved from the inner surface by the previous owner. It makes it nice to sit there but it also prevents the jib from being set real close. I think I would prefer the DS-1 style of the fairleads mounted on the cabin roof.
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Re: Jib fairlead track screw replacement

Postby GreenLake » Thu Aug 11, 2016 2:41 pm

You can use "Barber inhauls" to adjust the sheeting angle of your jib - and for best pointing you will want to do so.

A barber hauler is a line onto which you knot or splice a single block. The jibsheet is lead through that block first and then through the normal fairlead. To change sheeting angle you pull on the barber hauler and it pulls the jib sheet more inboards. To be able to reach them easily from the upwind side, you might cross your barber haulers on top of the cuddy and mount their cleats a bit off-center on the upwind side of the cuddy deck.

In operation, you pull in the barber hauler up to about 6" for better pointing - when you have moderate to brisk winds. For downwind, low wind and heavy wind, they are not used. They work really well and I leave mine permanently connected (I attach the jib to the sheet with a soft shackle, so I don't take the jib off the boat during the season - saves a good bit of time rigging and de-rigging).

9461841

The black cleat in the second picture is for the barber hauler, and the bit of line on the left crosses the center line and continues down into what I show on the first picture. The block is seen edge-on, so you may need to visualize that a bit. As shown, the barber hauler is slack. When you tighten it, the block will slide up to the edge of the cuddy and then you can pull it in to get your desired deflection for the sheet. A bit of experimentation in winds between 6-8 knots should yield the optimal position, and I recommend you mark that.

Here is a another picture from a time before I learned to cross the barber haulers to keep them in reach closer to the upwind side.
769
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