Typical, you never hear of the problems until after you experience it. Or, you did hear about it but thought it would never happen to you. Apparently folk, the chain plate is one of the most often overlooked on the list of must do' s on boat maintenance lists. T make it worse, stainless steel (the material of choice for all modern chain plates) is widely misunderstood metal. Can you believe that some people believe that s/s doesn't rust? Fools, I'd never do that 8)).
Anyway, I've been reading up on chain plates after mine failed and here's the rub.
The Problem:
Chain plates are routinely inserted through the deck with lashings of sealant. The sealant will do two bad things that can lead to failure of the chain plate: one, it can breakdown and trap moisture against the s/s, the wet coding material will offer a perpetual sponge bath. Secondly, the sealant will starve the s/s of which allows corrosion to take place.
Many sailors believe that chain plates are designed t last the life of the boat. That's not true, they should be removed and inspected regularly.
The Cure:
Remove each chain plate ( this can be done with the mast standing), inspect it for signs of corrosion, pitting or fatigue. Replace it or polish the old one to enhance rust resistance. Next, do the Standard Method for Installing Deck Fittings in Fibreglass Boats ie: Drill an over-sized hole, gouge core material out further, fill the cavity with thickened epoxy, redrill and insert fitting using polypeptide sealant.
Consideration should be given to installing new chain plates through the hull with large diameter bolts, long backing plates and neoprene gaskets.
References:
"Chainplates 101: Inspect and Refit" Cruising World, Tom Zydler 15 Nov 2013.
"Service the Chain Plates" The Rigging Company blog, 2 FEB 2015.
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