traveler mounting brackets

greenskeeper

greenskeeper

Member
So I got a cabled bridle and had to remove the mounting brackets to install it. Now the screws don't bite nearly as much for my comfort.

I have an inspection port near the mounting points but can't reach over to where the screws go in.

I re-installed the screws with gorilla-glue for added strength, but my question is how much force should the traveler brackets be able to hold? I would like to test it before actually getting out on the water.
 
greenskeeper said:
I have an inspection port near the mounting points but can't reach over to where the screws go in.
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Measure from the port to the mounting points—from on top—by sticking your elbow in the port, and seeing how far you need to extend your reach. It may only be a tongue-depressor distance, so put a glop of 3M or MarineTex on the stick, press upwards from inside and watch for the glop to push up through the screw holes. :cool:

You may need more than one glop, however. ;)
 
I think there are supposed to be wooden backing blocks behind the eyestraps. Someone else will know for sure, but it is hard to believe the boats were built with screws going into fiberglass as the only way to hold them in place. If there were, they fell away when you unscrewed the eyestraps. And if there were, gorilla glue or glops of epoxy are not going to provide the same strength. Personally, I would not go sailing without fixing it properly, but at least if they do pull out, you can still sail back in, although if it is windy and you have to go upwind to get to where you need to go, you are not going to get there very fast. BB
 
Older Sunfish had the wood blocks which over time get wet and rot and then fall apart. The newer boats have aluminum tabbed in and then are threaded for the eye strap screws. Still becomes an issue later on as the stainless bolt corrodes the aluminum and then you can't unscrew it.
 
I will look again with a mirror and light, but I don't think I can get at the mounting point inside the hull.

How many lbs of force should those brackets hold? Any guesses?
 
Use the glop to hold the wood in place. :) Or, if you want to use S/S as backing plate, saw off the blade of a dinnerwear knife, drill two holes. :cool:

greenskeeper said:
I will look again with a mirror and light, but I don't think I can get at the mounting point inside the hull.
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Borrow a camera?
 
I like the glop and wood. . . and next step up in screw length. Sometimes you can use another eye strap for a backing plate if using screws and nuts. In any case, you'll need to reach it, though.
The total force divided between the 3 mainsheet attachment points will be approximately equal to the force you exert to sheet the sail. A lot of the time, it will be lateral, but that would work the attachment from side to side.
 
greenskeeper said:
I will look again with a mirror and light, but I don't think I can get at the mounting point inside the hull.

How many lbs of force should those brackets hold? Any guesses?
Click to expand...
Where is your port? The usual port spot is back by the stern. It just isnt very far from there to the eyestraps. If something is in the way it should just be foam that you can cut and gouge out of the way. If your port is somewhere else, you really have two choices. Put in a port so you can access the straps, or replace the gorilla glue with something suitable for marine purposes, and I would suggest marine tex. If you do the latter, I have no idea what the force is on those straps is . I would not go sailing with a marine tex repair, but it may well work, and it would certainly be a lot better than gorilla glue.
 
LAuman said:
It wouldn't be race-legal, but has anyone tried attaching the bridle to the gunwale?
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That's not necessarily a crazy idea. Both the Minifish and Force 5 used remarkably simple solutions - they had small holes drilled through the gunwales just outside where the Sunfish eye straps would be. The holes on both were sanded very smooth so there's no abrasion, and the bridle fastened by just an overhand knot under the gunwale lip. Of course both those boats had molded edges instead of aluminum trim, put that solution could work in a pinch. I'd use abrasive-resistant line like Spectra or something for the travellor,that is difficult to cut even with a knife.

I've never had to do that, though. If the block is in there at all but the grip is suspect, I've used slightly longer/heavier screws and dipped them in mixed MarineTex ( and dabbed a little in the holes, too). That works remarkably well if there is any wood block left. Otherwise through- bolting should do the trick, but as BB noted, you have to cut through the foam
 
beldar


the boat has 3 inspection ports, 2 aft, 1 in the stern. I think the foam is in the way, so it is ok to cut out what I need to make the repair?
 
Yes, just cut away the foam. I suspect a lot of the foam you will be getting rid of is the yellow/orange spray in foam. Just to clarify before you start chopping out the foam - your port is either between or aft of the eyestraps, right? If that is the case, you should not run into any trouble getting the foam out. If the port was further forward, you would be chopping thru the white foam blocks, which are fairly structural, and that would be bad.

If your port is further fwd, Lauman's idea of mounting the eyes on the gunwhale seems like a good idea. BB
 
looks like some solid foam, so for now I am not cutting into it.

I pulled as hard as I could on each mounting bracket, couldn't get it to begin to budge. We'll see what happens on the water.
 
greenskeeper said:
looks like some solid foam, so for now I am not cutting into it.

I pulled as hard as I could on each mounting bracket, couldn't get it to begin to budge. We'll see what happens on the water.
Click to expand...
Remember, just a constant pull on the brackets is far less tension than a flying gybe due to Dynamic stress.
 
gorilla glue survived in 15-20mph breeze (estimated), so for now I will leave it alone (with a good paddle just in case!)
 
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