Replacement Front Crossbar Mismatch Woes

I plan on taking my H18 apart each fall and back together each spring. I think because it will be repeated I am going to make two "spacers" out of wood that fit under the inside lip of each hull at a repeatable point near each cross bar. That way on the trailer I can hold the hulls at the correct spacing and they won't roll over (this spring I tried the strap to belt the hull to the trailer and the darn hull rolled over on me anyway, good thing my kids were there to stop it getting damaged). It should then be a simple thing to bolt it up (or unbolt it when taking it apart).

Just wanted to let you know the results of my crossbar replacement. I purchased a used front and rear crossbar set from a single boat, and they fit like a champ. Problem solved. Interestingly, there was similar significant corrosion on the rear crossbar where the framing bolts screw into the bar.

My boat is a '98 and has been sailed exclusively in salt water. I don't know how diligent the previous owner was with rinsing off the boat with fresh water after each sail, but I can only surmise that the flattening of my original crossbars is somehow related to the compromising effects of 10 years of salt water and heavy wind. The boat has always been housed indoors in a boat-barn, so exposure to the elements has been minimal outside of actual sailing time.

Interestingly, I never would have known that I had a corrosion problem with the bars if I weren't troubleshooting significant water intake into both hulls. The leak turned out to be water entering around the threads of the inspection portal caps, fixed completely with a thin coating of silicone lube applied to the threads.

For saltwater sailors, it may be worthwhile now in the off-season to inspect the underside of your crossbars for corrosion. Had I not replaced my bars when I did, I'm sure that it would have not been long before the bars gave way in the big winds of my Texas Gulf playground.