pad eye for spi pole, how to fix it ?

[simonfraser]

Hi, the easiest - but possibly not the best ??? - way to fix the lower whisker for my spi pole would be to fit a pad eye to the lower part of the bow

the bow is made of at least 50mm deep / wide laminated cedar epoxy coated

the whole boat weighs 1200kg, sail area would indicate a max load of 500 kg

so, use a pad eye and two hefty self tapping scews ? sizes ?

bolt through would of course be best, but there is a water tight compartment at the bow, but no access hole, unless i go above the bunk floor in which case the angles are very poor

alternatively i could have a U shaped fixing made with an eye on the front
fix the U by screwing into the side of it, screw sizes ?

sugestions please, many thanks

 

[oldsaltoz]

G'day simonfraser97,

Given the stresses involved and possible problems with water entering at some later stage I would be looking for a solid set up.

You are on the right track when say:
<<Bolt through would of course be best, but there is a water tight compartment at the bow, but no access hole, unless i go above the bunk floor in which case the angles are very poor>>

And:
<<alternatively i could have a U shaped fixing made with an eye on the front
fix the U by screwing into the side of it, screw sizes>>

I would combine both the above; have the 'U' shaped plate made up at least 4 mm thick. and through bolt with 2 x 6mm fixings.

However, I would drill the two thru' holes at 10mm and then back fill them with epoxy and Micro-Fibres, they will be stiff enough not to run inside the collision bulkhead so access required. Re-drilling the holes to meet the bolt size and a dab of sealant will prevent any water problems later and give you a solid fixing point.

Just my thoughts of course.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[simonfraser]

thanks