Any advice on replacing the inboard rear crossbeam bolt on a 1981 H18? Heard a loud bang while on a week long trip, and then the starboard hull started to move more independently. Beached it, and lashed it, and kept sailing, but not looking for the permanent fix. It appears that the bolt pulled out from the cross beam, so wondering is there is any repair strategy other than a fully new cross beam?
thanks,
Satcheel
Any advice on replacing the inboard rear crossbeam bolt on a
If you can find a replacement beam, that would be the quickest way to get back on the water.
To repair yours, you'll need to completely remove it from the boat and repair the beam by replacing or repairing the chunks of aluminum inside the beam that are threaded for the bolts. Can maybe be done if you are a welder or have a buddy who is.
I had to replace the rear beam on my 92 H18 when the beam itself cracked almost all the way around, but it had a lot of pressure from a large skipper and wings.
Those chunks are no doubt corroded in place after 44 years! Impressive so many H18s that age are still sailing.Â
Good luck and welcome to TheBeachcats.com! Let us know your general location, maybe someone has parts.
@damon-linkous Thanks! I was afraid of that. Yeah I have wings, sx mast, and we had two people onboard with a lot of gear, beating into some ugly chop. So makes sense that something broke. The lashing I did has held up really well, but I am considering selling the boat and would like it to be in top condition.Â
I live on Cape Cod.
What exactly broke? Â Did the bolt shear off, or did the entire bolt pull out?
Many years ago I had one of the inboard bolts shear off. Â We were able to remove the insert from the crossbar and have a machinist drill out the sheared off bolt. Â It was just a matter of drilling out the rivets on the crossbar end cap and drilling out the rivets on the insert so it could be removed. Â Once the insert was repaired, just re-rivet everything back in place. Â No need to replace the entire crossbar. Â
If the threaded insert was damaged beyond repair, that would be a bigger problem, since you will probably have a hard time finding a replacement.  In that case, it might be easier to find an entire replacement crossbar  Â
sm
It sounds like the bolt pulled out. You could try drilling the hole larger and using a heli coil or a larger bolt to secure it. Epoxy might also help reinforce the area before re-drilling. Good luck!