Adding a Cabin Top Winch

[Rob Marino]

I have a new to me 331 and it only has one cabin top winch on the starboard side. I have purchased a new winch to add to the port side to run the rest of the lines to the cockpit. There are places with no non-skid decking to place the line organizers, stopper cleats and winch. Are these places reinforced in the decking or should I add a backing plate?

Thanks for the insight in advance!

Rob Marino

 

[Davidasailor26]

I'll defer to anyone with your same model who chimes in, but on our 37 the cutouts without non-skid are places where the deck is solid fiberglass, rather than cored. That means you don't need to overdrill your bolt holes and fill with epoxy, but you'll still want backing plates or at least significant washers.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Are these places reinforced in the decking or should I add a backing plate?

As you might imagine, this is a recurring question. The best advice I've read is to tap it lightly. The sound you hear will be a good indicator. Good luck.

 

[Jackdaw]

These deck loads are 90% in shear, not tension, so heavy duty reinforcement is not needed. As David notes, solid glass in these areas.

 

[kito]

Easy way to find out is to drill one of your mounting holes with a small diameter bit first. If you hit metal then drill and tap it......if not then through bolt it using backing plates. On my H30, I didn't have any embedded plates. Between the underside of the cabin top and my headliner is about a 1/4" air gap. I drilled each mounting bolt clearance hole from the top and through the headliner. I then used a spade bit to cut holes only through the headliner from inside the cabin the same diameter as the stainless fender washers. I stacked fender washers to fill the air gap on each hole until flush with the headliner. I put a nut on it and finished it off with a stainless acorn nut. Looks great.

 

[Jackdaw]

While done occasionally now; plates are not a common Bene practice, not on that model for sure.

But easy to check, if there are nuts under the wooden access panel under the starboard winch, you can expect to do the same on the port side.

 

[Gunni]

Yes, the cabin roof is solid glass, just install true backing plates and you will have an upgrade over the OEM Beneteau (which used fender washers).

 

[Rob Marino]

What a great resource! Thanks so much for your input everyone. I really appreciate the help!

 

[JimLanter]

I use my cabin top winches for the usual things plus spin sheets. They are backed by fender washers, lock washers, and acorn nuts. Never had one come loose. Just use the right size fasteners, usually 1/4" or 5/16" machine screws. There is not likely an imbedded plate - Hunter and others did that, but not generally Beneteau.