Hello, I am moving the hailyard winch for raising the mainsail from the starboard side of the mast to the molded in pad aft on the cabin house on the starboard side. My question is this: The cabin house top obviously has a pad molded in to it to accomodate mounting a winch. I presume that under this molded feature is some marine plywood or a metal plate. (A plate would be nice because it would make for a nicer winch mounting as you could drill into it and thread it to mount the winch. Has anyone done this and do you know what the backing material to the molded in winch pad is? I can't imagine it would be necessary to mount a backing plate below in the cabin in plain view. Thanks much! Bob Alden 1979 Hunter 30 "Summer's Glory"
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My 1980 Hunter 36 Has An Aluminum Plate
Dear Bob: My 1980 Hunter 36 isn't the same boat; but the same manufacturer and year (almost). I recently relocated hardware on my cabin top pads. Underneath the raised pad areas on both port and starboard and adhered to the gelcoat/fiberglass I found an aluminumum plate (would guess that it's 1/4" thick) and below the plate there is a narrow void space before I encountered the interior liner of the cabin ceiling. When creating the threads into the start holes with a tap, I found that quite a bit of twisting pressure is needed and I even broke a 1/4" tap inside a hole when I was distracted for a moment and then applied sideways pressure off the vertical. If you don't use a tap often (I hadn't in many years), just thought to mention to be careful on this. Go slow, use lubricant and back out frequently to clear the fiberglass and aluminum chips. If you have the same void space below the plate as I did, you can continue with the tap until you feel a bit of resistance when it encounters the ceiling liner. You would also know if you have a void space when you drill the intial hole for the tapping. Screws logically should be of length to use all of the alumimum, but not go all the way to the interior liner. regards, rardi
Dear Bob: My 1980 Hunter 36 isn't the same boat; but the same manufacturer and year (almost). I recently relocated hardware on my cabin top pads. Underneath the raised pad areas on both port and starboard and adhered to the gelcoat/fiberglass I found an aluminumum plate (would guess that it's 1/4" thick) and below the plate there is a narrow void space before I encountered the interior liner of the cabin ceiling. When creating the threads into the start holes with a tap, I found that quite a bit of twisting pressure is needed and I even broke a 1/4" tap inside a hole when I was distracted for a moment and then applied sideways pressure off the vertical. If you don't use a tap often (I hadn't in many years), just thought to mention to be careful on this. Go slow, use lubricant and back out frequently to clear the fiberglass and aluminum chips. If you have the same void space below the plate as I did, you can continue with the tap until you feel a bit of resistance when it encounters the ceiling liner. You would also know if you have a void space when you drill the intial hole for the tapping. Screws logically should be of length to use all of the alumimum, but not go all the way to the interior liner. regards, rardi
Plates or not.
Interesting that the H36 has a plate. I am betting my 1979 H37C does not. Especially since there is no raised pad. And the original winch on the port side of the cabin has a teak cover inside, probably covering nuts and washers. If I were Bob I would position the winch then mark and drill one small pilot hole. Use a collar to keep the depth less than two inches. You will know immediately. I have added deck hardware using stainless bolts through the headliner. I don't find that the large fender washers are too unattractive.
Interesting that the H36 has a plate. I am betting my 1979 H37C does not. Especially since there is no raised pad. And the original winch on the port side of the cabin has a teak cover inside, probably covering nuts and washers. If I were Bob I would position the winch then mark and drill one small pilot hole. Use a collar to keep the depth less than two inches. You will know immediately. I have added deck hardware using stainless bolts through the headliner. I don't find that the large fender washers are too unattractive.
winch mounting
I had a cal 227 and I moved my winch from the mast to the cabin top. The winch was a Barient but you might be able to do the same with yours. My winch had an adaptor plate between the winch and the mast. If you put the flat part of the plate under the cabin top you will have a great backing mount. The mounting holes will already be drilled and tapped. All you have to do is drill through the existing holes in the plate for hole alignment in the cabin top. I was able to get under the headliner, hope you can use this trick. Ray T
I had a cal 227 and I moved my winch from the mast to the cabin top. The winch was a Barient but you might be able to do the same with yours. My winch had an adaptor plate between the winch and the mast. If you put the flat part of the plate under the cabin top you will have a great backing mount. The mounting holes will already be drilled and tapped. All you have to do is drill through the existing holes in the plate for hole alignment in the cabin top. I was able to get under the headliner, hope you can use this trick. Ray T
Bob and Ed
Ed, my H37c has the aluminum plate on the aft end of cabin top and there is no raised pad. Bob, I still tru bolted, since you never know what alternate use you may put the halyard winch to. I bet your sheet winches are thru bolted.
Ed, my H37c has the aluminum plate on the aft end of cabin top and there is no raised pad. Bob, I still tru bolted, since you never know what alternate use you may put the halyard winch to. I bet your sheet winches are thru bolted.
Deck Pads
I once had a 79 Hunter 33 with likely the same raised pads. I did bring my lines back to the cockpit and added winches there. My recollection is that these pads are plywood/glass sandwich both above and below the surface of the rest of the deck. In other words, under the winch locations there are three layers of glass and two of ply. I remember being surprised as most of the deck is balsa cored.
I once had a 79 Hunter 33 with likely the same raised pads. I did bring my lines back to the cockpit and added winches there. My recollection is that these pads are plywood/glass sandwich both above and below the surface of the rest of the deck. In other words, under the winch locations there are three layers of glass and two of ply. I remember being surprised as most of the deck is balsa cored.
Thru-bolting the winch.
I'm going to go with Scott's recommendation. Regardless of what I find on the starboard side cabin roof I will thru-bolt the winch. I have had two winches, clutches, deck organizers, and related harware for years. I just could never get around to installing it. Just last year I finally ran my staysail sheet back after removing the old method about nine years ago. Everything else is still at the mast. Next will be the main halyard and the reason for the starboard winch. Then it is probably time to quit going forward to reef. And yes, H37C sheet winches are thru-bolted.
I'm going to go with Scott's recommendation. Regardless of what I find on the starboard side cabin roof I will thru-bolt the winch. I have had two winches, clutches, deck organizers, and related harware for years. I just could never get around to installing it. Just last year I finally ran my staysail sheet back after removing the old method about nine years ago. Everything else is still at the mast. Next will be the main halyard and the reason for the starboard winch. Then it is probably time to quit going forward to reef. And yes, H37C sheet winches are thru-bolted.
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