Floor Anchors
- Thread starter Gunni
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Unsecured floorboards and canned foods are the two mostly deadly things in the cabin during a knockdown/capsize.
Can you cite a source for that? I would think that not having quick access to thru hull valves, pump strainers, etc in an emergency would be more of a safety issue than a loose floorboard. If you had to unscrew floorboards to find the source of a leak you might need dive gear before you solve the problem.Jackdaw said:
As far as the "squeaking issue is concerned, I put felt disks on the underside of each corner of mine and it works beautifully.
Good discussion here.
Check the official Fastnet accident report and anecdotal stories. Most of the people injured when below during the capsizes were hit by boards or cans. See: Fastnet, Force 10 and Left For Dead.
30 years on, Yachting Monthly did this test: same story
http://youtu.be/Gqe1Sxa2GXo
On the 367 none of the thru-hulls are under the boards, except for the transducers under their own little locked piece.
And you are right, every boat will have its own set of uses and conditions than dictate what scenario is more likely, and what needs priority.
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Gunni, I can only speak for my particular situation, but.. I have a 34' Hunter, and my sole is screwed to the grid. I just had my sole completely out to do some glass work on the transverse stiffeners. The screw holes are relatively small and mine was screwed down at the perimeter and made one on the middle depending on the size of the panel. I have no cracks where the holes were drilled, so no worries there. My recommendation is to pre-drill the hole, through the sole and into the grid. Then, get a dowel rod from your hardware store to fill the screw area... with that purchase an identical size drill bit... Drill a counter sink hole in your sole, approx half was through... Install the screw, place glue on a cut off of dowel, insert in hole... lightly ( Only the dowel) sand to smooth with sole. Again, this is only my situation with my boat... others may feel different... Good luck.
This may be a dumb idea, but how about using some heavy duty velcro tabs between the floor boards and the grid structure? it beats drilling holes in the grid. Besides the boards would detach easily without tools when necessary. I would be concerned about screws stripping out of the fiberglass just from flexing caused by walking on the boards.
The energy of a boat being rolled, and bounced will easily lift a velcro attached board, and likely the same with a woodscrew, or sheetrock screw. I've even see batteries come loose and roll. This is a very violent situation, and as Maine Sail has pointed out, most of our production boats have marginal thru-hull hardware - held on by pipe threads. I have two thru-hulls at the bottom of my companion way, both with 90deg. fittings and vulnerable to debris and stumbling crew when they come loose. There are suitable floor anchors (I linked to the PYI model) that are tapped into the fiberglass, you can remove them with a 1/4 turn of a penny or rigging knife and they are spec'ed to 500 lbs. I'm just not sure this is the best solution.
Take a look at 10:00 minutes into that capsize video posted by Jackdaw. Imagine that scenario offshore while you try to recover from a knockdown. Then imagine it happening twice more. It is exactly why people get into a life raft and leave their boat. There is a very real danger of fatal injury from the interior contents and furnishings of a sailboat.
Reminds me of a couple who showed up on our doorstep after a long road trip of adventure. They had decorated their dashboard and aft window shelf with rocks and driftwood, shells and coral heads. They seemed genuinely shocked when I told them they were traveling inside a cluster bomb.
Take a look at 10:00 minutes into that capsize video posted by Jackdaw. Imagine that scenario offshore while you try to recover from a knockdown. Then imagine it happening twice more. It is exactly why people get into a life raft and leave their boat. There is a very real danger of fatal injury from the interior contents and furnishings of a sailboat.
Reminds me of a couple who showed up on our doorstep after a long road trip of adventure. They had decorated their dashboard and aft window shelf with rocks and driftwood, shells and coral heads. They seemed genuinely shocked when I told them they were traveling inside a cluster bomb.
Simply screws. Start out using a #8 or so, and if the hole strips out, just move to a larger size. Each board is supported around it's perimeter by the grid. There are 'bump-outs' at several places, and that is where the screws go into the grid. You can get by with only a couple of screws per board, but use more is you put stores under the board. Most, if not all, offshore races dictate that ALL boards be secured in case of knockdown-even the boards under the bunks/seats should be able to be 'battened down'.
While i had all my boards out, i drilled a finger hole into any board that did not already have one.
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