Effect of the hiking strap on the cockpit wall

Kevin Mc

Kevin Mc

Active Member
I installed a hiking strap in my boat today. The hiking strap hardware was already in place (i.e., it's factory original; no port holes, etc.), so all I had to do was put the new strap in. I'm surprised by how much the forward bulkhead of the cockpit bows out when the strap is in use (I only weigh ~140 lbs). Now I'm wondering if repeated flexing of the cockpit wall will lead to cracking, and if use of the strap by two people simultaneously is out of the question (total weight of ~310 lbs)? So, someone with a hiking strap out there, how much flexing is normal?
 
Odd. The forward wall of the cockpit should not flex much if at all as there should be a fairly large back-up plate inside that should distribute the load. What year is your boat? Maybe your boat does not have the back-up plate and one should be installed.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
It's a 2006. The two bolts holding the strap are threading into something behind the cockpit wall.
 
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