Drilling a hole in my toerail

jimi

jimi

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I want to drill a hole in my toerail to put a block on for a spinnaker guy, is it just simply a case of drilling the hole and thats it, or is there more to it?
 
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...BBC1DCDF337F55BDB07B45284DB3B197B&FORM=IQFRBA

212413F-p.jpg


It looks like a hole is req
 
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jimi said:
I want to drill a hole in my toerail to put a block on for a spinnaker guy, is it just simply a case of drilling the hole and thats it, or is there more to it?
Click to expand...
If your boat is similar to my Jeanneau 35, which also has a non-slotted toerail, it is held in place not by the "traditional" row of through-bolts, but by large self-tapping screws, plus sikaflex-type sealant. The function of the self-tapping screws (large x-head) seems primarily to hold down the alloy while the sikaflex sets.

The only things through-bolted along the toerail line are the pulpit, pushpit and stanchion bases, each of which are held down by an approx 8mm machine screw thread. These non-slotted toerails are clearly not designed to support upward loads such as from a spinnaker guy.
 
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jwilson said:
If your boat is similar to my Jeanneau, with a non-slotted toerail, it is held in place not by the "traditional" row of through-bolts, but by large self-tapping screws, plus sealant. The only things through-bolted are the pulpit, pushpit and stanchion bases, each of which are held down by an approx 8mm machine screw thread. These non-slotted toerails are clearly not designed to support upward loads such as from a spinnaker guy.
Click to expand...

Ah yes, i hadnt thought of that. good point
 
jwilson said:
These non-slotted toerails are clearly not designed to support upward loads such as from a spinnaker guy.
Click to expand...

If that's the case (and perhaps it's even the reason they're non-slotted) it looks like an eye-pad or eye-bolt is required with substantial backing pad.

I can confirm, because I have some, that the Wichard devices in Sailorman's post #4 do require a hole.
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
My blocks have Velcro straps. Even cheaper.
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Those spinlock blocks still need a slotted toe-rail.

Having had to drill my toerail on one occasion, I'd advise Jimi to get an insulating cover on the ss pin - after about 8 years there is definite evidence of wasted toe-rail due to galvanic action.
I ended up finding some ultra high density polyethylene pipe which fitted just nicely (that's how large the hole had become).
UDHPE is easy enough to find in the US but I've not been able to source any in Europe.
 
RE - high density plastic -For those that do shackle through alloy, the plastic tubes used for air/beer in your local pub are pretty useful for making insulators. get the old stuff for free...
 
Jimi - FWIW, Jubilant (also an s38) does have holes in the toe rails.. There is a hole aft (each side) for the sheet blocks and then a pair of holes (each side) at about max beam for the guy blocks. One of the midpoint holes is just forward of the stanchion and the other is just aft. Not used yet for spinnaker guys but I think we're going to be using the forward holes for that purpose. The aft holes have had lots of use for the asymmetric sheets.

The holes look like they have been there since new and are about 19mm dia (in order to allow a reasonably large shackle to be used). With the shackle pin passing through the straight hole in the turning block the wide part of the shackle does have to pass through the hole in the rail.

Will take some close up photos later if this helps.
 
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