I recently had to review a chainplate on one of my COI cats and send a note to the USCG.
I see from the X-Ray report that the Aolani chainplates were not steel, but composite as I thought they were.
These composite plates are immune to corrosion, unlike metal ones.
I assume the builder used my layup schedule as I have sent earlier. I see no reason to doubt that.
They are easy for the builders to build in a huge safety factor.
Instead of being fastened onto a hull, these synergistically combine to both strengthen the hull and the chainplate.
Unlike the metal plates, these have some resiliency so make all the parts longer lived.
Any delta in the parts from the loads would show up immediately and early by cracks in the paint. Unlike metal plates which usually are not painted.
Attached find a picture of one of my other catamaran designs with composite chainplates. Note that he lifts his entire vessel with only the three chainplate locations.
Another source for a whole armload of composite supplies and prices not too bad. No knitted fabrics though. In the west of the US only. https://www.tapplastics.com/about/locations
Barry showed this to us several years ago. It keeps the down load off of the bow tube, and snugs the anchor back into or near the main beam. A big roller lives at the end of the bridle, which the anchor line and chain run through.
The live picture is of the Sarabi installation. They used it for years crossing the Pacific. Salty Cat, a KHSD 45 has the same system.
Almost done with setting up the 22mm mainsheet car system. After learning that the Harken end blocks would be around $200 each after tax, I resolved to make my own. I laminated then trimmed some 5mm thick ones of scrap carbon fiber. The end blocks attached by soft solution. One result of a gifted car was that the pins were too bent to remove for attaching new turning blocks. Nobody stocks the 5/32″ pins needed. They said Harken would need 5 weeks and much money to replace. I am using stainless bolts from Stoneway Hardware. Ends not fastened to the track in this picture.
For decades Harken has been my go-to deck hardware company. I was recently gifted a Harken 22mm car and bought track for it, for my 12′ trimaran. As noted in earlier post, the cost for the track end blocks shocked me. Today I bought these beautiful Lewmar blocks for $14 each at Fisheries. I did lam up some ends for these blocks which I will paint and post next week.
While it is obvious all the boat tech things that have gone into the lunar lander dwelling, several ideas from that spaceship have helped my multihull design.
The first is a new view of lighting and interiors. My designs have always leaned toward vehicle and less to habitat. The interiors were flat white and throw in a few lights.
The spaceship has allowed me to take advantage of the new design freedom allowed by all the new LED offerings.
Another is the use of Foamular insulation foam for non structural core. Things like shelves or seats can use a ply/core/ply sandwich with much less cost and much easier edge finishing than the usual Tricel materials.
I read in my auto magazines that electric cars have their batteries punished by resistance electric heaters. Expect auto sized ductless heat pumps in a couple of years. I have been seeing the results firsthand at the spaceship. Energy costs are about a third of resistance heat.
My present battery powered LED lights in the bathroom stopped working. I will investigate, but probably the moisture.
So these are the replacements I will try. Waterproof. Battery powered.
Moisture is more of a problem on a boat than a spaceship even.
