Rat-boards

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by zeehag

my ratlings are arbutis. my nav light boards are ipe, my NEW ratlings will be rope and painted with a substance used by my cargo schooner friends --is tar like but less messy

Boat soup? Recipe of tar, turp, and Japan dryer.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Celestialsailor]

Ok folks...as promised here is the system I used...excepts from my blog...


Ratboards

Maybe you have heard of Ratlines. The rope woven into the rigging of thew old square riggers allowing crew to scamper up the rigging to the long yards to furl and unfurl sails. In more recent times, people have used wood slats. I have spent a great many hours walking docks and surfing online to see the different ways people attack them to the rigging. The most secure method I have seen is with bulldog clamps. I totally disagree with this method because of how I have seen the clamps distort the rigging wire...no thanks.

I used my own system I feel may work out...again...I do not recommend you try my method, since is has not been tried before and I take my own chances.

You can see I have used African Mahogany with 5/16", 316 Stainless Steel pronged T-nuts and 18-8 bolts 5/16" bolts. A total of 4 for each "Rat board". The idea is that Mahogany is a soft, hardwood and by clamping the wood, is pressed into the form of the wire acting as a sort of braking system. Any brake can be overcome by weight and/or shock force. So I will have to see how it goes. Not knowing how it was going to react, my hand and feet would sweat while clamping them on the lower shroads while the boat is out of the water. If they in fact didn't work from the get-go, I imagine the fall would kill me or worst...turn me into a drooling idiot.

The first thing I noticed as I installed then and to my satisfaction was that they required tightening over a short period of time, telling me the forming process is working and eventually over time have a good grip on the wire. Again...we'll see.

[Celestialsailor]

I'm wondering how the mahogany will weather. I'm thinking of an oil.

[Charlie]

Nice job Celestialsailor. I was thinking of doing the same thing. I was planning on just using bolts though. I also thought that the angle of the lowers would make it so that the ratlines wouldn't move too much if I routed one side of the material in a half moon shape. Also thought I would lash some line underneath the boards to aid in the support.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Nice job Celestialsailor. I was thinking of doing the same thing. I was planning on just using bolts though. I also thought that the angle of the lowers would make it so that the ratlines wouldn't move too much if I routed one side of the material in a half moon shape. Also thought I would lash some line underneath the boards to aid in the support.

After having them up for a few days, I can see that the softness of the Mahogany is causing the bolts (with washers) to embed in the wood as they are tightened. This will cause them to loosen up. So next time I'm at the shop, stateside, I will make a SS plate to bridge to two bolts instead of the washers. The prong T-nuts seem to be staying still.
I also thought of routing and even brought my Zip-tool to do that but decided against it as the softness of the wood was doing that for me.
Still, I think it will always be something I will need to maintain with tightening as time goes along.

[Charlie]

Makes sense. Have you tried climbing them yet? Be interested to know how they hold their position vertically.

[Celestialsailor]

As long they are tight, they hold 160lbs. I think the washer plate described above will be an improvement though.

[Schooner Chandlery]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I'm wondering how the mahogany will weather. I'm thinking of an oil.

We used Sapele (Mahogany) on one set of pin racks. They've held up since 2009 with me continuing to forget to oil them. I think I've oiled them once in that time -- around 2011-- with Tung oil. So far so god though. We used Angelique on the other set of pin racks and it is holding up similarly. The teak fife rails around the bases of the masts are much older and they require a lot more oiling to keep in good shape though.

[Celestialsailor]

Thanks for that. There is actually a Home depot whee I am currently in Mx.

[LornaS]

Hello. I made rat lines for my 40 foot Caliber using Brian Toss's rigging book instructions. They were made of Ash which I varnished. I have cut wood left and all the assembly parts. I sold my boat so I am willing to sell these to you along with Brian Toss's rigging book. I used 3 pieces of wood with 2 pieces of rope in between so you are only on the rope a short time as you climb to the top board. LornaS

[Celestialsailor]

Not sure if you read the thread or not but I made some and attached the pictures, unless you are referring to someone else.