A chainplate is a metal plate used to fasten a

shroud Shroud usually refers to an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects some other object. The term is most often used in reference to ''burial sheets'', mound shroud, grave clothes, winding-cloths or winding-sheets, such as the famous Shr ...

stay Stay may refer to: Places * Stay, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the US Law * Stay of execution, a ruling to temporarily suspend the enforcement of a court judgment * Stay of proceedings, a ruling halting further legal process in a tri ...

to the hull of a

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

. One end of the chainplate is normally fastened to a

turnbuckle A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed into each end of a small metal f ...

which is connected to the shroud or stay, whereas the remainder of the chainplate normally has multiple holes that are bolted to the hull.Rig-Rite Inc's description of chainplates
This distributes the load across the hull, making it possible for a somewhat lighter hull to support the load of the shrouds and stays.

References

{{reflist Sailing rigs and rigging Nautical terminology