Wind Shadow 's last spar paint job lasted over 10 years. Before I begin spar reassembly, I play back the drone of my audio notes, making sure that the problems noted during disassembly have been remedied. Next comes a final inspection of each toggle, clevis pin, turnbuckle and tang. Cotter pin ends are cut short and spread to about a 45-degree angle. I prefer to put a dab of clear silicone on the legs of these pins rather than cover every thing up with visually obscuring tape.
Spreaders deserve additional attention.
They are designed to handle compression loads and can be harmed by simple things such as the chafe caused by lazy running backstays. Also I check how the spreader heel fitting fits against the spar, and whether or not corrosion and friction between the stainless steel pins and the alloy extrusion have weakened the structure. Modern rigs with stainless steel rod junctions at the tips of aluminum spreaders must be checked for galvanic corrosion problems. Covering up these areas with tape and mast boots that trap moisture can be a real mistake. Give the masthead and its associated sheave box a close inspection, especially the welds and holes for clevis pins.