I am finally back in town for a while. Field work in the desert hit 113 degrees. Fun.

The first project is to construct the chainplates. Materials include marine ply with a layup of 12 oz. biaxial E-glass and 8.9 oz. S-glass. Chainplates for the uppers have 0.75" OD x 0.12" wall T-316 seamless stainless tube with stainless clevis pins (at the ends of the tubes in the photo), and the lowers have 0.875" OD x 0.12" wall T-316 seamless stainless tube. These should be beasts, and they will never leak. Components are from McMaster-Carr, Online Metals, and Fiberglass Supply.

I calculate a conservative, bare minimum tensile strength of 60,000. More about this project as it progresses.

Other new stuff arriving includes a fuel tank and various deck bits. These great Marelon deck chocks will provide a home for the spinnaker pole, and they will be a toe-saver.