Washboards - tiedown system

[Anchorite]

I'm looking for ideas on how to attach lanyards to the boards: they are already a pain to stack when not in position, so any sort of obtrusive ring fitting is going to further complicate matters.
If someone has invented the miracle lie-flat solution for attaching the string to the board (or even the second best solution) I'd be grateful to hear about it!

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

May I ask why you want to do this?

Ours are either in place, held by bolts, or stowed below in a special cradle.

Why would you tie string to them?

 

[sarabande]

sikaflex something like sail tape to the board, then attach the lines to the tape?


We have large pockets sewn into the cockpit dodgers where the boars live when the boat is in use.

 

[Tranona]

Epoxy nuts into the board to take screw in eye bolts which can be removed when not needed. Take lanyards from eyes down to cleats on hatch framing. Precise details depends on layout of companionway, but the principle should work.

 

[nimbusgb]

i think the ARC and some racing rules require you to have a lanyard system.

Try a flush fitting deck hatch ring like this.

When you want lanyard attached you could do it with a carabiner on the end of the lanyard snapped into the lifting ring. When you want to stack them the deck ring lies flat.

 

[Wunja]

You could glue strips of Velcro hooks to the top and bottom of each washboard and on the threshold, then join them with strips of the non-hooked Velcro.

 

[Ianhampshire]

My two washboards are held in place by bolts which works fine (one on each washboard). Stowing them is always a pain however having once been pooped when the washboards were both out, I now always sail with the bottom one in place, irrespective of the weather/situation. This means I only ever have one board to stow and that tends to get put just inside the deck locker. Im not sure why a lanyard is prefered by many as a means of securing the boards as a bolt is simpler and quicker IMO.

 

[Anchorite]

Keeping washboards on board

I think I first came across the lanyard recommendation in the Fastnet report.
Bolts sound okay (c/w dedicated storage area!) but otherwise sound as potential snag points.
But plenty of good suggestions above: I feel a little hesitant about a glued solution, maybe tapes glued and screwed would be stronger.
The hatch ring is attractive but my (4) boards are a sandwich of 5mm ply with a 2mm stainless plate between, total 12mm. The ring is 12.7mm deep. Vetus do another, 8mm deep, still too much!
So far it's Tranona's epoxied nut (3 or 4mm) that is favored, maybe with a little mod to increase the holding.
Thanks to all for your contributions.

 

[Kelpie]

Why not have a length of bungee that can be hooked over the top of the boards?
After all the boards don't weigh much.

 

[Steve Clayton]

May I ask why you want to do this?

Ours are either in place, held by bolts, or stowed below in a special cradle.

Why would you tie string to them?

With the washboards in situ then certain regs will require you to have some sort of tied facility to prevent them from being lost/overboard - think about the sensibility of having your manual bilge pump handle secured by a length of fixed line to prevent it being lost.

I have stainless "hooks" in the washboards with a length of thin line with a plastic closed clip on t'other end; loop it round a companionway back on itself so in a potentially heavy situation then it won't get "lost".

 

[doug748]

I had the same problem, any lanyard eye tends to damage the boards when you store them.
Flat stainless plates (c15mm * 30mm) set into the board with screws, with a short groove routed under for the line, does the job.

 

[Seajet]

Nimbusgb,

I have a folding ss eye like that on a locker top; they require quite a deep gouged out hollow to sit in, deeper than most washboards are thick.

How about the Lewmar fold-flat harness eyes ? They'd stick out a little, but do the job.

 

[yacht surveyor]

We have a small hole drilled through the lower washboard, through which the lanyard is passed and a knot has been tied either side to stop it pulling through. Attaches to a cockpit hard point adjacent to the washboard.

Does what you are intending, easy to do, and nothing to damage to the other washboard.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I was on a friends boat last week and he just had a lanyard through a hole in the corner and a stopper knot on the inside. The hole was a snug fit. The rope was about 6mm diameter.

 

[yacht surveyor]

I was on a friends boat last week and he just had a lanyard through a hole in the corner and a stopper knot on the inside. The hole was a snug fit. The rope was about 6mm diameter.

That is exactly what I was trying to describe, but you put it in a much clearer way! Our lanyard though is about 1.5/2mm diameter. The washboard is perspex, so there is not much weight to hold down.

 

[Boo2]

Bolts sound okay (c/w dedicated storage area!)

My boat came equipped with strips of wood screwed into the engine casing at the same angle as the main companionway sides so the boards store flat on the casing and are completely unobtrusive.

Boo2

 

[KenMcCulloch]

I was on a friends boat last week and he just had a lanyard through a hole in the corner and a stopper knot on the inside. The hole was a snug fit. The rope was about 6mm diameter.

I have seen wooden washboards fitted in this way with a counterbore on the outside to accommodate the knot and a routed channel to the edge on the inside to allow the rope to sit flush allowing stacking in a small space. These were fairly chunky wooden washboards, about 3/4" thick AFAIR.

 

[Blueboatman]

Where you have enough depth of wood ( these are 22mm) and access to router, clamps and technique, you could do it like this ?
The pins are driven in from the side and capped with wood dowels, there are recesses on port and starbd and four boards, the retaining strings can go over the top and down into the cockpit/jammers but not yet-out of time and wanted to go sailing!
..and all because I store the washboards flat against each other with no protrudences to scratch the varnish ! Yacht vanity.
There are two circular vents in the top board ( not shown) also let in flush.