Hello Bud and all. Please see images of my Chain Plates attached. You can see they are weeping i suppose rust stains. Is this normal, bad or very bad news. your opinion appreciated. In my gut i know but i need validation from experience Westsailors. Thank you.

Denis:  Welcome to the WOA forum - great to hear from Ireland.  Must be a story on how and when the W32 made it to Ireland!! 

Here are some images from my boat - the rust done the hull like I see in your pic's isn't unusual... in time the SS will "rust" with a lack of oxygen and stain the hull. 

Below are images linked that show what you need to look for when inspecting your chain plates.. 

Based on the age of all the westsails - I would recommend that you at least polish up to a shine the exposed chain plates -- and look carefully at the area around the carriage bolts... the holes are square - and the cracks from from the corners of the square hole.  

If you have any doubt at all about the chain plates -- it is highly recommended that you at least remove and polish them up on both sides -- so you can inspect carefully or after 40 years it is probably time to just replace the chain plates.  

Regular members have access to more information collected over the years on this and many other issues on our Westsails. 

In closing - within the last few years at least 2 W32 were abandoned mid Pacific by their crews after failures to their tangs/chain plates/rigging. 

HTH

Jay Bietz

Web Master

Anonymous wrote:

Hi Dennis , For elder boats like ours I would say it's normal especially for sitting in salt water all their lives . I clean ours fairly often , I have used FSR by Davis and just lately a product called Bar Keepers Friend . 

Wow Ireland !  Tell us about yourself and your boat , please .

Mark .

Hi Mark. Yes from the west coast of Ireland. However i keep the boat in Faro Portugal. Beautiful Westsail 32 factory finished from 1975. Admired by everyone. The Westsail is a rare sight in Europe so it turns heads.

Anonymous wrote:

Denis:  Welcome to the WOA forum - great to hear from Ireland.  Must be a story on how and when the W32 made it to Ireland!! 

Here are some images from my boat - the rust done the hull like I see in your pic's isn't unusual... in time the SS will "rust" with a lack of oxygen and stain the hull. 

Below are images linked that show what you need to look for when inspecting your chain plates.. 

Based on the age of all the westsails - I would recommend that you at least polish up to a shine the exposed chain plates -- and look carefully at the area around the carriage bolts... the holes are square - and the cracks from from the corners of the square hole.  

If you have any doubt at all about the chain plates -- it is highly recommended that you at least remove and polish them up on both sides -- so you can inspect carefully or after 40 years it is probably time to just replace the chain plates.  

Regular members have access to more information collected over the years on this and many other issues on our Westsails. 

In closing - within the last few years at least 2 W32 were abandoned mid Pacific by their crews after failures to their tangs/chain plates/rigging. 

HTH

Jay Bietz

Web Master

Hi Jay. I am from the west coast of Ireland but bought the boat in Faro Portugal. I bought it from a Russian scientist who bought it from a German guy. Beautifully maintained. Its previous name was "Nordlander". Cream hull. 1975 factory finished. I spend six month of the year in Portugal. Weather always good. I get to play boats a lot. My west sail is my sanity. Thanks for your advise.