Spreaders

While having the mast down, I noticed that the rivets holding both spreader bases to the mast were sloppy.

Each base had 4 stainless steel rivets. Needed 8 total. Finally found some at a Toronto based chandlery and paid 0.50 cents a piece. Rip off!

After removing the spreader tips, I realized that there was a chunk of leftover plastic housing that appeared to go completely around the spreader tip, separating the base and the tip. It was way down at the bottom of the base and I'm guessing this was likely original.

Spreader base

Throughout the 2011 sailing season, various crew members pointed out the sloppiness of the spreader tips at different points of sail. The missing / destroyed piece would explain their behaviour this season.

Aside from the missing plastic, the tips were in good shape with only a few wear points as a result of the missing plastic. The spreader base and tips were removed and were taken home to fix. I measured the thickness of the plastic piece removed from the spreader base and eventually found a $1.50 cutting board at the dollar store with the same thickness. The cutting board was moulded to the circular shape of the oval housing using a heat gun. An hour later I had 2 replacement pieces that fit the spreader tips perfectly. I replaced the bent, under-engineered 10-32 SS bolt holding the spreader tip to the base with a 1/4" SS bolt

All together, the repair of the spreaders was $5 for SS rivets, $1.70 for a dollar store cutting board and $2.50 for 2 new 1/4 bolts and 2 lock nuts.

I don't believe there is a store within a 50km radius of my home that sells 3/16" stainless steel rivets.