Hi Stan,

Thank you for the shims. That is great news about the parts division.

I believe the rare disease you refer to was probably caused by lack of
proper maintenance. When I purchased the boat on the second-hand market, the
bolt holding the spreader sockets was very loose as were all nine of the
shrouds/stays; the shims were not present. As an indication of how long this
condition had existed, the threads on the bolt were completely worn away for
about 1/4 of an inch at the point where the (loose) bolt passes through the
mast near the end secured by the nut. My guess is that the loose shrouds led
to a loosening of the nut and that subsequent motion of the spreader socket
wore the shims to the point where they abandoned ship.

As I write this, I realize that I probably should replace the bolt as well;
is it stainless steel?

Thanks,
Chris on LBI




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Long Beach Island
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