Installing turning blocks, oday 272LE

[fhujber]

I'm about to drill through the top of my cabin to install three turning blocks, near the base of the mast. In drilling, am I likely to be drilling through anything other than wood and fiberglass? This is a 1987 O'Day 272LE.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Wood and fiberglass sounds about right for an Oday. Maybe foam instead of wood, but same concept. You should over drill the holes, fill with thickened epoxy, then drill the right size. That way any water that gets past the outer skin won’t rot the core.

 

[fhujber]

It would seem to me that there's at least some risk of a weaker installation because you lose the homogeneous nature of the original fiberglass/plywood layup because of the weaker bond between the epoxy and the original layup. Agreed, the risk of moisture remains. I'm just worried about diminished pullout strength. Thoughts?

 

[Davidasailor26]

For something like a turning block you’ll want a backing plate or adequate washer to spread the load anyway. That will distribute the pulling force out over the existing core, if you’re worried about the plug.

 

[rschuss]

Somewhere on the market there is a base-plate that fits under the mast. It is pre-drilled so you can put lots of blocks for turning. I think the mast is stepped on deck.