adding external blocks with an internal skin

[EddBee]

I want to add more modern clutches to a pandora, where currently there are (original I assume) rather worn camcleats. This is for the main and reef.
The inside of the cabin has a skin, which makes it impossible to reach the underside of the fitting so is standard practice to cut a small hole in the internal skin, fit blocks and patch it up (or leave it for access?)
thanks!

 

[vyv_cox]

Yes. You can buy plastic plugs used with flatpack furniture. B&Q have them, about 30 mm diameter , white or brown. Drill the hole to fit and it looks quite tidy.

 

[SiteSurfer]

Just want to say thanks for that advice, exact same setup on my boat and wanted to change some deck architecture. Super simple solution - as opposed to the awful looking chunks of ply from the original owner littering the interior roof.

 

[Teko]

I've just done the same job, on my leisure 23 I used a hole saw on the internal skin but luckily my boat has plywood head lining so when 're fitted it hides the holes

 

[pvb]

Some builders used to glass a metal plate into the deck moulding, then drill and tap for bolts to hold the fittings. Might be worth investigating whether you can unscrew the existing fixings - if so, maybe there's a metal plate you can use for the new fittings.

 

[EddBee]

thanks all- Yes first stage is to remove what's there. I might get lucky and have something drillable on the inside. If not,I suppose my follow up question is how to you decide whether you can get away with bolts and penny washers (holes covered by plastic plugs) or would need a ply block under it to spread the load (also meaning a bigger hole). If the latter I may stick a light fitting over it! The loads on these blocks aren't going to be great (I am looking at the small, single spinlock jammers) but I'd rather overdo it than under do it... should i go belt and braces on this?

 

[MonniotC]

thanks all- Yes first stage is to remove what's there. I might get lucky and have something drillable on the inside. If not,I suppose my follow up question is how to you decide whether you can get away with bolts and penny washers (holes covered by plastic plugs) or would need a ply block under it to spread the load (also meaning a bigger hole). If the latter I may stick a light fitting over it! The loads on these blocks aren't going to be great (I am looking at the small, single spinlock jammers) but I'd rather overdo it than under do it... should i go belt and braces on this?

The load on the clutches will be all in a fore-and-aft direction. No side-loading at all. Backing-plates therefore, could be in the form of a longish rectangle with little width. They could then be inserted through a smallish hole.