[Rhodes22-list] Spreader shims

[Charles Henthorn]

    Just discovered the heavy snows weighed down the canvas covering my '88 bending down the spreader on one side chipping loose about 25% of the shim on the spreader rod that runs through the mast to support the spreaders.   Are these a standard item or obtainable on from GB?  How critical are the shims if you tried to sail with one chipped?   Looks like the whole assembly comes apart if the cotter pins are removed -- is the replacement of a shim more complicated than it looks?
  Rex