The weather is lousy and I am completely absorbed with the beginning of the new semester. This is a time to retreat to the garage and do some composite work as time permits. I am on a mission to replace big hunks of stainless. First up, replace the chainplates. The old structure in the photo is Hinckley's 1969 idea of what should support a mast (in this photo, the fore and aft chainplates are not engaged in the stainless angle). The white blob is a knot of roving that I sawed off the hull. How is it possible that the mast survived forty years, at least three trips to Bermuda, and one serious thrashing in Hurricane Ike? Magic?

So, in the composite spirit and under the spell of the terrific properties of S-2 glass and carbon fiber, new chainplates will be produced. I have a pad of doodles and will choose one in the next few days. All are rather straightforward and provide fantastic tensile strength with stresses transferred to a large area of the hull via well-tabbed knees and through two bulkheads. Running the figures gives simply staggering numbers - like easily pick up even a much heavier boat with one of the six of chainplates.

And no leaks! No crevice corrosion! Ever!!

Following on this theme one finds composite stanchions amazingly stronger for a given weight. It is likely that a new pulpit and pushpit will follow. I have some experience with the construction of carbon composite bicycles. A pulpit is nothing more than a really simple, slightly modified bicycle frame.

Of course, I am aware of ORC restrictions on composite pulpits. Whatever. Composite stanchions are currently being custom made, and I will bet the pulpit rule disappears. Remember the brouhaha over Dynex Dux? We will head back to the water with a lot less stainless and a lot more composite.