I went up to the top of the mast today to re-run the jib halyard and fix up the furler wrap-stop, on the way back down I checked out the spreaders etc, and found a horror on the upper starboard spreader. The base has crushed and fractured through, with the whole thing swinging aft about 10 degrees. The mast fittings are all sweet, as is the metal plates that sandwich the spreader wood where it mounts to the mast, but the wood itself has simply given way.
No sign of rot, it appears time has gotten the better of it, but I suspect it has been helped along by yours-truly possibly over-tensioning the rig. This is probably also a factor in that jib winch ejecting itself... These old girls don't like to be tuned up hard like a modern rig, but I tend to wind the cap shrouds and backstay on a bit hard to keep the sag out of the jib. Maybe I just need to live with the sag. I *really* hope I can get this sorted before Xmas; it's a job a bit beyond my skills and tools, as it is going to require a fairly sizable piece to be scarfed in and pined.
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| Taking it down |
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| The plate has twisted 10 to 15 degrees |
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| Fractured through down the bore |
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