DIY Ropeye deck eyes?

[mrybas]

These seem like they would be fairly easy to make your own. I was thinking a piece of dyneema tied into a loop with a button knot. Pass this through a small as possible hole in a g10 backing plate.
The harder part would be keeping the fitting water tight. You could fill hole in the deck around the dyneema with sealant, but won't look great and probably leak a little bit. Any better ideas to waterproof the hole in the deck? Maybe a watertight electrical compression fitting?

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by mrybas

Any better ideas to waterproof the hole in the deck?

Screw cap underneath the deck, fill with silicon and screw closed.

Make sure you smoothly round all the edges of the hole thru the deck.

Also local reinforcement of the deck around the hole, with tapered edges, is usually prudent.

But you are right, they are easy to replicate.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by mrybas

These seem like they would be fairly easy to make your own. I was thinking a piece of dyneema tied into a loop with a button knot. Pass this through a small as possible hole in a g10 backing plate.
The harder part would be keeping the fitting water tight. You could fill hole in the deck around the dyneema with sealant, but won't look great and probably leak a little bit. Any better ideas to waterproof the hole in the deck? Maybe a watertight electrical compression fitting?

1. Water is going to wick down the inline of the line.

2. You'll need a bushing at the deck to prevent the line for either chafing on the FRP or tearing through it. From what I've seen load lines do to FRP, I think metal is better.

An interesting engineering challenge, if you want it to take high load in all directions and remain watertight.

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by thinwater

1. Water is going to wick down the inline of the line.

2. You'll need a bushing at the deck to prevent the line for either chafing on the FRP or tearing through it. From what I've seen load lines do to FRP, I think metal is better.

An interesting engineering challenge, if you want it to take high load in all directions and remain watertight.

2. What about if the hole through the deck/hull was significantly over sized, then this area filled with sealant? The dyneema would be free to articulate without touching the hole through the deck. This would probably only work in applications where the load is always in the same direction, as too much movement of the eye would break the sealant's watertightness.

[mrybas]

The application I had in mind was to replace the fitting where the bow sprit stays attach to the hull. The load direction doesn't change much, so chafe against the glass shouldn't be an issue. I'll likely use a a glass tube that is epoxied into the hull for the pass through area between inner and out hull skins. I can sand the inner lip of the tube to have a nice rounded edge.

[Blue Stocking]

Not being facetious, is this an engineering exercise, or do you have a specific need and purpose requiring this fitting. I used low St. Steel padeyes with low friction rings lashed on , on a visiting boat.

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

Not being facetious, is this an engineering exercise, or do you have a specific need and purpose requiring this fitting. I used low St. Steel padeyes with low friction rings lashed on , on a visiting boat.

is above not specific enough?

[UNCIVILIZED]

When one looks at the prices for these, it's easy to see why one would want to DIY them.
So you're thinking:
- Oversized hole in the deck with smoothed edges, plus localized deck reinforcement.
- G-10 backing plate, with small hole for spectra loop.
- Spectra loop through G-10 plate, with button knot acting as restrainer.
- Sealant around spectra at deck penetration.
Mechanical WT cover filled with sealant on underside/back side of spectra loop
Do I have that right?

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

When one looks at the prices for these, it's easy to see why one would want to DIY them.
So you're thinking:
- Oversized hole in the deck with smoothed edges, plus localized deck reinforcement.
- G-10 backing plate, with small hole for spectra loop.
- Spectra loop through G-10 plate, with button knot acting as restrainer.
- Sealant around spectra at deck penetration.
Mechanical WT cover filled with sealant on underside/back side of spectra loop
Do I have that right?

Yes, more or less what I was thinking. You could make them in a couple hours and cost maybe $25-50 in material (depending on how beefy you needed).

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by mrybas

Yes, more or less what I was thinking. You could make them in a couple hours and cost maybe $25-50 in material (depending on how beefy you needed).

Do you have a source for, or thoughts on, WT covers for the backsides?

[thinwater]

There is always the old school approach. These can also be made by splaying the fibers out inside the hull or deck, providing both a backing plate and load distribution. Becoming common for chain plates.

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Do you have a source for, or thoughts on, WT covers for the backsides?

No, still trying to figure that one out. The button knot will be tight against the g10 backing plate, so this seems like a tough spot to try and make watertight. Maybe its easier to try and waterproof from the outside where the dyneema passes into the boat?

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by thinwater

There is always the old school approach. These can also be made by splaying the fibers out inside the hull or deck, providing both a backing plate and load distribution. Becoming common for chain plates.

When old school becomes new school. Here are my chainplates:

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by mrybas

is above not specific enough?

Apologies, your photos had not come up on my following at the time. I see your need.

[mrybas]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

Apologies, your photos had not come up on my following at the time. I see your need.

No worries, you suggestion with pad eyes and lashings to low friction rings was my backup plan.