Storm boards

Roberto

Roberto

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Jul 2001
Messages
5,854
Location
Lorient/Paris
sybrancaleone.blogspot.com
I am thinking about making some plywood storm boards for my portlights, the biggest one is a square 50x50cm above the forecabin, then I have a few 30x15 portlights (two on the aft portion of the hull)

Boards are supposed to be used in case the "glass" of the portlight breaks, so basically the would lie against the remaining aluminium frame

any ideas or pictures about shape, how to make them more or less watertight, and especially how to fit and block them in place from the inside of the boat, etc ?

thanks
 
You could try making some gaskets out of rubber that are the same shape as the aluminium frame. They should stop, or at least reduce, any leaks when sandwiched between the frame and board. Or keep some sikaflex on board and use that.

As for mounting, you could glass some wooden batterns round the windows. Make them look pretty and part of the interior design. When the window breaks, the board could be fitted by screwing it into the batten (with gasket between or sikaflex between).

Alternatively, if you don't mind putting holes in the boat (they can easily be filled afterwards), when the window breaks dig out your cordless drill, or hand drill, and put some holes through the fibreglass round the window. Then use heavy duty plasterboard anchors, push them through the holes in the wood and fibreglass and tighten them up. The anchors will expand and hold the wood in place. Have a practice first, as the anchors come with grips on the front, and these will need to dig into the fibreglass for them to work, the glass may be to hard, I've never tried it.

OK, it'll look a mess, and you'll need to patch everything up afterwards, but the windows just been smashed in a storm, so there's no time to be squemish.
 
I thought the general idea was to have a system ready so that you could put on the Storm Boards before the onset of terrible weather. So having a system with studs over which the boards would fit and bolt down with some arrangement of battens seemed sensible to me.
 
[ QUOTE ]
OK, it'll look a mess, and you'll need to patch everything up afterwards, but the windows just been smashed in a storm, so there's no time to be squemish.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not the time to be getting the drill out either I wouldn't have thought. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
thank you

It's true it would be better to find a means of securing the boards before anything is broken...

I notice you talk about putting the boards on the inside of the frame, in case the lexan is broken wouldn't it be better to, say, slip the board from the inside of the boat to the outside (at least for the rectangular portlights), then block it somehow so that it rests on the outside frame ?
Maybe a couple of bolts+butterfly nuts with two metal bars which can rotate and push against the internal frame ? a bit like some watertight doors in Uboots /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
We made stormboards for our Albin Vega's main windows from 12mm marine ply with a further 25mm x 12mm bead round the outside of the inside (if you know what I mean).

We then drilled holes and fitted the boards with long pan-head ss bolts and neoprene washers (with the nuts on the inside). We were lucky because there is a wooden batten used for mounting the curtain rails at exactly the right level top and bottom, you might need to put some wooden framing on the inside.

When the boards are not in place the holes are filled with the same diameter but shorter length bolts with the same neoprene washers. Works well, no leaks.

- W
 
Cut the boards to fit on the outside of the frame. Drill a hole in the middle to pass a knotted loop of rope through, so that the knot is on the outside and the loop (fairly short) coming back throught the window into the boat. Place a short beam of wood or a large spanner etc through the loop and turn it, spannish windlass style until the window is jammed tight against the frame. The rope idea could also be extended to reach a convenenient fitting opposite the window. Either way, the loop would need to be sized to suit the distance between the inside and out.

On a related note, I'm sure I recall a PBO Sketchbook idea that suggested pre-marking locker lids with the pattern of your various windows, ports, wash boards etc so as a fall back, you could just cut along the lines to make what you needed - no measuring needed.
 
Mine follow a very similar design to what you describe. The only difference is that I have the timber (internal) cross-brace drilled to receive the two long all-thread s/s bolts that are permanently fitted through the panel.

These are pushed through the cross-brace and secured with a washer and s/s wingnuts. It's quick and VERY secure. I hope! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Have tried it on a window mock-up and it works well, though God knows whether it'd be easy to do in the sort of conditions where it was needed! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
<span style="color:white"> . </span>
Just to clarify - our design was for stormboards that are routinely fitted before an offshore passage or whenever extreme weather is anticipated - not just to be fittted when the window / hatch is broken - which is in my ever so humble opinion slightly too late . . .

- W
 
Hi Webcraft,

Oh, I understand now, and yes, you're probably right. When I drag mine out it might be a bit late, but I like to think it'll be better than trying to stuff a sleeping bag in the hole etc!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top