Mounting of deck fittings

[hooked on water]

This has probably been covered elsewhere, but am wondering what everyones opinion is to fitting blocks to the deck to fit deck fittings to
I am looking at fitting and epoxying blocks to all deck and cabin mounted fittings to keep the water away from screw fixings
What does everyone think of this?
Would appreciate greatly all input

[David M]

I would think you would want to make sure any sort of shear loads or compression loads do not crack the wood blocks.

Bedding the cleats in the regular fashion does not appeal to you?

[hooked on water]

I am thinking of water only, but have started making a plan of all the cleats and stuff and some have to be straight to deck with normal bedding
am quickly heading towards having to bed straight to deck for most fittings

[Wotname]

I have used a 10 mm thick beech pad (block) under all the various deck fittings (teak would be better). Made the footprint reasonably large so to minimize possible compression / shear failures. All fitting are through bolted to large pads under the deck (some are timber / ply / SS / Aly as seems best).

The top of the hole in the deck is countersunk a bit and so is the bottom of the hole in the above deck pad. This is to give a bit of volume for the sealant (Sika in my case) to form a decent seal around the bolt / screw etc. and to remain elastic.

The wood pad doesn't need any protection (being Beech or Teak) and also allows for easier repainting of the deck as the repaint only has to butt up against the shape of the pad rather than some of the more complex shapes of the deck fittings.

Don't know how well it will work as I have never done it this way before!!!

[hooked on water]

This is partially what I was thinking, for balustrade post bases and cleats using blocks like you suggest wotname.
Am interested to keep water from holes and make maintenance better
I do have some at the bow that are not going to be easy to do, because of space and will in fact I think make things worse
but on the whole the sides could work well in with a toe rail as a combined structure

[hooked on water]

This is a totally new fitout, and I am actually looking at fiiting all these blocks prior to final paint.
Aslo how many cleats are people fitting down their decks, I like more than the usual one so there are real places to fix to for those awkward docks, or tying spring lines etc
I was thinking one at side of cockpit combings, one in each stern quarter, two at bow just off the peak and one main bollard, and three each side for side moring and fenders

[David_Old_Jersey]

One thing that occured to me is that if using Epoxy will later removal become a lot harder?.....although of course if using Epoxy perhaps "Later removal" will be less likely?!

Originally Posted by hooked on water

This is a totally new fitout, and I am actually looking at fiiting all these blocks prior to final paint.
Aslo how many cleats are people fitting down their decks, I like more than the usual one so there are real places to fix to for those awkward docks, or tying spring lines etc
I was thinking one at side of cockpit combings, one in each stern quarter, two at bow just off the peak and one main bollard, and three each side for side moring and fenders

32 foot - I make that 6 cleats each side? Which for me seems a tad OTT, albeit I tie my fenders off on the Stanchions (not so much bending ).

But I do like enough cleats (especially the bow set up you describe), but they can have a tendency to catch sheets and lines (and toes!) at awkward times.

I will confess that (at the moment) I do not have an amidships cleat each side - and on my "to do list" as IME very useful, if not essential........I am guessing that your idea for a Cleat at the side of the Cockpit Coamings is for ease of line handling from the Wheel / Tiller - no bad idea......but I would caution to think carefully about location in respect of feet / toes when exiting / entering the cockpit.....for this reason I will stick with using my winches for a temporary cleat on the basis that Cleats fore and aft (and in due course amidships!) is IME more than enuf for my 30 foot boat.

You may want to also give some thought to the location of Fairleads and / or rubbing strips - and bear in mind that sometimes you may want to run a line back from the bow cleat to the dock (or forward from the stern cleat).


Re-reading this post I obviously have some mental scars involving Toes and Cleats!.......

[David M]

Hooked,
I'm not sure how much this would appeal to you cosmetically, but there are some awfully tough plastics out there that would never crack like wood can crack. Some even come in wood colors. Delrin is one plastic that comes to mind. I have used Delrin for electrically isolating aluminum from stainless and have put lots of compression force on it with no cracking or deformation of the plastic. Getting bedding compound to stick to it is not a problem either.

David

[Boracay]

It would be a good idea to run any ideas past Hartley & Brookes Associates. They will have the best idea of what to do.

Having built a RORC 32' too many years ago I would suggest that you consider:-
* Drilling all mounting holes. Make sure they are not on top of frames.
* Making sure the cement and any exposed reinforcing is fully protected, possibly using very thin (searching) epoxy resin.
* Making up backing pieces to go under the deck. These could extend from frame to frame. These should be bedded in place using a good mastic. I like silicon rubber but others hate the stuff. Polyurethane is a possibility.
* The deck fitting should be fitted with the bolts going down through the deck and the backing piece.

Don't forget that the bilge of all ferro cement boats must be protected from the destructive action of a mixture of diesel and sea water. I used thin (searching) epoxy with tar epoxy on top.

[Wotname]

Hmm... well I guess we are all a bit different. I actually don't like cleats around the bow, just perfer a very big samson post and good fairleads. The bow cleats just seem to get in the way of everything else.

I DO like cleats amidships and have always had them there before - very useful but this time round I don't have any suitable space for them.

David M's suggestion of using Delrin sounds good although for me it was a matter of having lots of spare timber and not much spare Delrin (and therefore cost issues).

I painted the decks while they were clear of fittings just to make it easier and to ensure a good paint coverage.

DOJ - how many toes do you still have

[hooked on water]

Fitting of cleats to the bow is easy and not going to catch lines as it is just forward of a raised deck for the front cabin
This gives protection of sheets catching right back to the cleat at the mast step alignment
I am through bolting everything with a steel backing plate
am positioning the cleat at the cockpit combes in a position to hopefully not be in the way of my feet
I am pre drilling all holes and epoxy coating all fitting positions
have coated the whole inside of the hull with epoxy, so it is well protected and wont skin knuckles
I like the idea of the plastic base, that sounds good, I might look into that
Cheers
Hooked

[Wotname]

You have been busy!

[hooked on water]

Wotname
You got no idea how busy
I have also fitted all bulkheads, faired most of the deck and hull, shifted the cockpit combs and cokpit itself
this weekend, am fitting deck hatches with marine ones, and fitting floor and final bunk structure
I am a busy boy
have to be to get this girl in the water for christmas
How is everything going for you , any closer to your move over here
to gods end of the world.

Am trying to get final jotamastic on upper hull and deck in two weeks and three for final hardtop ultra to same areas. three to four coats of epoxy right through so far

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by hooked on water

Wotname
You got no idea how busy
I have also fitted all bulkheads, faired most of the deck and hull, shifted the cockpit combs and cokpit itself
this weekend, am fitting deck hatches with marine ones, and fitting floor and final bunk structure
I am a busy boy
have to be to get this girl in the water for christmas
How is everything going for you , any closer to your move over here
to gods end of the world.

Am trying to get final jotamastic on upper hull and deck in two weeks and three for final hardtop ultra to same areas. three to four coats of epoxy right through so far

Hooked - I can guess just how busy you are .
Progress sounds good - are you indoors or outside?

My refit continues slowly but some say I am a slow worker , others say I do good work , I say I am slow but rough Work interfers with the progress but it does help with paying for the boats bits .

Can't think about the big move to "paradise" until boat is ready for the long(ish) haul from Perth to Hobart, daughter gets a little older, real estate values normalize again over here; however I do have a great picture looking down Avre Road from my land at Geeveston as wallpaper on the PC at work - this keeps me focussed on the big picture.
Cheers!

[hooked on water]

All sounds like good and sound thoughts for the move
I look forward in the mean time to our numerous chats online
I now have the cabin extension mostly complet and fitting cockpit combs tomorrow for the revised cockpit
also hope to fit sunday the nose to the cabin
the previous owner had the front square and I am fitting an angled front in solid timber
I think he had it in the too hard basket
cheers and have a good weekend
Greg