Carbon chainplates

Decided to go for the Gucci way. I got some adapters for carbon chainplates from Colligo, one pictured here. They basically need to be inserted between two hoops of carbon, with a 1/4" pin through each ear of the chainplate and the adapter. So I have a spacer -that will create the groove for the adapter- which is a piece of 3/8" ply that has been beveled down to 1/4" to blend with the top of the 5mm ply, wrapped in packing tape for release. To wrap the carbon around, I have some 1" x 1/4" OD aluminum threaded spacers form the hardware store, with fender washers on each end. The washers are about 5/16" clear of the 3/8" ply, and provide about a 1/4" annular space around the aluminum spacer.

I went with the pins perpendicular to the chainplate bulkhead and spreader axis because I didn't want to load the adapters sideways. With a low stay to the gooseneck or gnav (if I do it, who knows at this point), the inner stay has lots of angle compared to the D1 and cap shroud. It would have been miles easier to use a continuous pin/spacer and just wrap sheets of uni from one side of the bulkhead across to the other, but I couldn't see that working well in this case due to the multiple angles on a single pin.

The chainplates are too close together to do all at one shot, so I did the middle one first with three layers of 6oz. x 3" uni tape (should have just done two, but it all worked out in the end). I let this cure to the green stage, then removed the screws and washers, and installed the ones in the outer two holes.

Here we are after the outer two pins are wrapped. I had to aggressively "floss" the uni down between the bulky middle wrap which was still pliable but sticky and stiff, and the outer washers to get it well snugged against the pins.

And the end result, curing. Tomorrow I'll add a little filler under the pins where the wrap left some voids, and then drill out the aluminum pins (assuming they won't come out voluntarily). Then remove the ply spacer, and install the half-frame into the boat. Later, the deck will get notched over the ears, and some filler added to fair them up a little.

Not sure how much "better" this is than a steel plate, but I figure it probably took less time overall than fabbing something from Stainless, it probably weighs a bit less, and it just looks cool, so I went for it.

I have had pitifully little progress otherwise. But Shawn's J30 is looking just killer with the new paint and all the work that has gone into getting it ready. Another week to get it ready to splash, and maybe I'll have some more time for my own project.

edit to add pic: The finished parts.