Adding eye straps to C320 toe rail

[rickr104]

Hello -

I will be adding netting to my lifelines to keep my dog onboard. I'd like to anchor the bottom of the netting to the toe rail between the stanchions to make it more secure.

There are already a few eye straps screwed in to support zigzag lines that kept sails onboard when dropped. (I'm not racing this boat, so I use the furler & all the race sails that came with the boat are in my garage).

Can anyone advise me on any issues with drilling more holes and mounting more straps? is there a wooden stringer under the glass? How deep can you drill? (I will of course seal with 4200 or some such).

Thanks, and I'm sure I'll have more questions as I get outfitted to get off the dock more this summer.

Happy Sailing!

Rick

 

[jssailem]

Welcome Rick.
You deck is sandwich of top and bottom fiberglass with a core material in the middle. Likely balsa wood but may be plywood with some areas that have a metal (aluminum) as backing plate. In the areas of wood core, you want to drill through the top layer of fiberglass, clear out some of the wood beneath the hole than fill the hole with thickened epoxy. Form a water tight plug, then you can drill a hole in the center to take a screw. Check out the video on West System about epoxy filled holes.

This gives you a good place to run a screw yet the core is saved from water and rot.

 

[JoeWhite]

If it was my boat I would do all that I can to avoid drilling holes.
I am not sure how big your dog is. I would think a 1/4" line at the bottom of the net that is woven into the net and tied to the stations should be enough to keep your pet on board. Additionally you can put the line inside a 1/2« PVC pipe then weave through the bottom of the net.
It will be removable one day without any holes on the deck.
Let us know what you decide.

 

[rickr104]

Hah! Totally agree - The drilling was making me nervous. I slept on it and decided to use 1/2" PVC conduit exactly like you describe. Should be much less work too.

Then I just read your excellent advice.

Izzy is a 50 pound medium dog. I think this will work well.

Thanks!

Rick

 

[Tally Ho]

Could you weave a rope through the holes (assume you have slotted aluminum toe rail) and through the bottom of the net?

Greg

 

[rickr104]

I do not have the slotted toe rail, or I would have definitely done that. Plastic pipe will be a great solution.

 

[rickr104]

I'll also add, as a new member here that just asked his first question, that I much appreciate multiple quick responses from you guys. I think this place will be a great resource!

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Making holes along the toe rail could be particularly troublesome because you may not even notice leaks were they to occur. Glad that you decided on another solution.

 

[smokey73]

I would think some 1/4 inch line weaved through the bottom of the net, stretched tight and fastened to the stanchions might be a better solution. It should be no more flexible than the webbing of the net and will be easy to do and replace. PVC is not UV resistant and not really designed for exterior applications. It may become brittle over the years and you will still have some flex in both the outward direction and upward direction. Unless you secure the pvc to each stanchion it will be a pretty long distance between securing points. If you are worried about stretch of the rope you could use one of the high strength/low stretch synthetic lines and go a lot smaller than 1/4 inch. Just my 2 cents (soon to be discontinued)

 

[Foswick]

Making holes along the toe rail could be particularly troublesome because you may not even notice leaks were they to occur. Glad that you decided on another solution.

That's actually a good point. I am normally not as averse to putting a new hole in my boat as many people are. But, that is a valid consideration, and kind of timely for me, as I get ready to install a couple of cleats in place where a leak could go unnoticed for some time. I'm still going to have to do it, but I think I will modify some things to make the under-side easier to inspect.

 

[jssailem]

I am normally not as averse to putting a new hole in my boat as many people are.

That is a fair statement. A suggestion: Be sure to identify both sides of the place you intend to drill (make a hole), and be attentive to the consequences of choosing the location poorly. For instance, when drilling a hole to provide a vent hole or drain hole through the side, will it be in a boat stripe (meaning you'll want to paint the outside fitting the same color as the boat stripe) or beneath it, and will the fitting color match the hull color?

 

[Dalliance]

Instead of drilling new holes in the deck or toe rail, look at replacing one bolt at each stanchion base with a heavy duty stainless steel shoulder eye bolt. Then you can run a ¼” line through each and weave it through the bottom of the safety net. The line may slide up if it‘s just tied to the stanchion, but an eye bolt at the base will hold it securely down near the deck.

https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Shoulder-Eyebolts-Screws-Washer/dp/B097XG5CTK/ref=asc_df_B097XG5CTK?mcid=fefe2575ee9e3068b88114eb12a03be9&hvocijid=16937911061105833420-B097XG5CTK-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16937911061105833420&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021723&hvtargid=pla-2281435179538&psc=1