Log of Alberg 30 #262 on 28 August 2017

During the morning's sail, the boom end cap had come off the boom. The boom end cap was held by five aluminum rivets. The rivets sheared. The color and brightness of the rivets and the amount of rivet left, suggest that the lower three rivets had sheared or corroded some time ago. The top to rivets, extended past the outer surface of the end cap. Part of the torn ends of these two rivets was shinier than the others.

Drilled out the rivets from the boom using at #25 drill bit, intending to secure the end cap with #10-24 machine bolts, all the while aware that the #25 drill bit was smaller in diameter than the aluminum rivets. No go. The remains of the rivets spun in place. They were not secured to the boom via corrosion with the same tenacity that occurs with stainless steel into aluminum. Need a new plan.

Remembered that Bill Boyle of #129 Slainte had reattached the end cap of that boat using a bail. Seemed to remember others using bolts in the original holes. Called Mike Lehman. Mike related that he replaced the rivets with 1/4"-20 bolts when he installed the 7:1 outhaul in Gilleleje #505. The 1/4"-20's are far stronger than necessary. The driver here is the diameter of the holes left by the aluminum rivets. The aluminum rivet holes are just a smidge smaller than the #7 drill bit used with a 1/4"-20 tap, hence the choice of 1/4"-20 bolts.

Off to Fawcett's to get the bolts. Bought twelve. They are cheap. May need to replace the rivets securing the gooseneck and this would leave two spares.

Once returned from Fawcett's, the rest of the operation and clean up took an hour to drill, tap, bolt, vacuum the cockpit, and bit away the boat properly. Time includes that spent resecuring the port bowline of the powerboat, Why Knot, a Sundancer 26, in slip A-6. Drilled the first hole on the underside of the boom with the end cap held firmly in place. Tapped the same. Secured the end cap with a 1/4"-20 machine bolt. Proceeded to do the same for the rest, so that the end cap could not shift position, which might of happened had I drilled all the holes first, then tapped, and, then bolt them up. Used Tef-Gel on all five bolts.