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S&S Swan Maintenance - Turning Block/Toerail
26 August 2019 - 18:45
#1
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Turning Block/Toerail

Dear Lars,

while redecking (47/069) Vanessa I wonder if it would be a good idea to slightly rise the genoa turning blocks (4/5 mm), as they are now attached to the base of the toerail and there is always some water which can't find its way out .

Thanks a lot for your kind reply!

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

27 August 2019 - 06:44
#2
Join Date: 02 January 2008
Posts: 1547

Dear Matteo

Yes, this is a good idea.
The recommendation is to leave out the teak under the turning block bases, and replace it with a GRP pad some 5 mm thicker than the teak, and 20 mm bigger around the edges. G-10 sheet would be a strong and corrosion-free material for the pad.
The outboard lower edge of the pad to be chamfered off, so there is a big enough water channel, which can be cleaned out when required.
 
Similar GRP pads are also recommended under the winches when mounted on teak. With turning block bases and winches sitting directly on teak, under high loads it is likely that water will get in under them, and entrapped there. This causes hidden corrosion and other trouble.
Kind regards
Lars

27 August 2019 - 07:00
#3
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear Lars,

thanks a lot, will do it and keep you and the Forum posted on this matter (they will be re-installed after March 2020!

Fair winds

matteo

27 August 2019 - 07:21
#4
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear Lars,

would Tufnol be OK instead of G-10?

Thanks a lot

Fair winds

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

27 August 2019 - 08:54
#5
Join Date: 02 January 2008
Posts: 1547

Dear Matteo

Tufnol would be OK, but machining it causes unhealthy fumes, and some shops avoid using it for this reason.

Kind regards

Lars

27 August 2019 - 09:09
#6
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear Lars,

OK, thanks. I have found a shop with a CNC machine and they can cut Tufnol,.

Another question. The base was glued to the deck, as you can see from the attached photos. So I would need to glue the Tufnol support to the deck and the aluminum base to the Tufnol rised base. Would this be OK?

Thanks a lot!

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

27 August 2019 - 10:30
#7
Join Date: 02 January 2008
Posts: 1547

Dear Matteo

Thank you for the photos. 
The turning block aluminium base has an additional bottom plate installed directly against the GRP deck, and the teak is cut away in this area, This arrangement is close to my proposal above, but the additional plate is slightly smaller, and not visible outside the base.
You glue the Tufnol spacer to the deck, and glue and bolt the aluminium base on top of the spacer.
You need to decide if the added Tufnol base edges will show outside the base or not. If showing, the teak to be removed in this area, and a Tufnol outside frame with suitable thickness made up. Alternatively the outside Tufnol frame including spacer can be machined from one thicker piece.
Pls find a sketch attached. Grey=alu, Red=Tufnol, Black=teak
 
There has been a narrow slot between the aluminium base and the toerail horizontal flange, it appears dirt has collected there. Can it be cleaned?
Kind Regards
Lars

27 August 2019 - 10:32
#8
Join Date: 02 January 2008
Posts: 1547

27 August 2019 - 11:02
#9
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear Lars,

thanks. The thick of the additional plate under the aluminum base is 9 mm.. Your drawing and explanation is very clear, thanks. I think I am not going outside the aluminum area of the base with tufnol.

Yes, I think the narrow space could be cleaned. I imagine when the previous Owner had the teack decl installed in 2000, in Germany, they did not pay enough attention to clean the space between the Turning Block base and the Toerail (there is some dirt and some mastic), I will be careful they will do this time.

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

 

16 October 2019 - 13:13
#10
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear Lars and Friends,

I decided to have my turning blocks rebuilt, out of alluminum. Building started today by a very good Italian craftmanship, who used to work in the Italian Navy submarines before opening his own shop a few years ago! I will have them grey anodized instead of black (which over the years is likely to turn grey, under the Mediterranean sun). 

They will be 100% identical to the 35 years old black anodized (now worn and with some corrosion problem).

I will post some new pic soon!

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

21 October 2019 - 10:29
#11
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Work in progress. they should be ready by the end of this week!

Fair winds

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

26 October 2019 - 18:47
#12
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Now ready for the anodizing shop!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

12 November 2019 - 16:12
#13
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear All,

and finally the brand new turning blocks (and their bases as long as the brand new plates which will be positioned ad the base of the alluminum tubes around the shrouds) arrived!

Fair winds

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

14 November 2019 - 09:25
#14
Join Date: 20 July 2017
Posts: 119

They look brilliant, Matteo!

 

Thank you for sharing your experience and approach, looking forward to seeing them installed!

 

all the best

 

Stefan

57/043 - Kairos

15 November 2019 - 10:04
#15
Join Date: 30 January 2007
Posts: 462

Now ready for the anodizing shop!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

Just a curiosity: the screws shown in your pictures appear to have an unusual shine; don't tell me that you used titanium!  That would be just icing on this already marvelous cake = la ciliegina su questa già meravigliosa torta!

Corrosion issues almost solved.

Daniel, 411-004 Luna Menguante

15 November 2019 - 10:33
#16
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear Daniel,

as you know I am a romantic S&S Swan addicted, could you imagine me to switch to titanium...?

OF COURSE NOT!

:-)

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

15 November 2019 - 11:00
#17
Join Date: 30 January 2007
Posts: 462

Well I understand, but I am pretty sure that also the Stephens' would understand a different choice!  :-) 

...just in case, for making things easier next time you dismantle them (50 years or so from now): tef-gel!  :-)

Daniel, 411-004, Luna Menguante

15 November 2019 - 11:02
#18
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

yes!

Tef-Gel is my preferred "cream"!!!

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

15 November 2019 - 13:55
#19
Join Date: 02 January 2008
Posts: 1547

Dear members

S&S used titanium on the more extreme inshore racing boats, for example the shroud tangs on the 12mR masts were of this material. It is strong and corrosion resistant. but has a peculiar weakness - it wears extremely fast under an oscillating load. Rod once remarked that during a hard weather race it was very close to disaster, the rigging pin ate itself almost through the tang. 
On a 12 m you can assume that all such details are inspected after each race, and spare parts are at hand.
Kind regards
Lars

26 April 2020 - 14:33
#20
Join Date: 29 January 2007
Posts: 1049

Dear Friends,

and finally new turning blocks have been installed, now we are just lacking authorization to get the boat back into the water and sail ...!

Fair winds!

matteo (47/069 Vanessa)

01 May 2020 - 13:54
#21
Join Date: 19 March 2020
Posts: 4

Wow Matteo.. that is amazing...J

 

Walidada

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