new clip or tie down eyes

[OptiMystic]

I got a couple of cargo tie down eyse from my local Harbor Freight. It was about $6 for a package of 2:



I cut a couple of pieces of 3/4" treated ply and drilled holes to use as the inside plate. I cut them about as large as I could pass through an inspection plate:



I ended up not using the supplied surface plate. If you tighte the eye on the bolt first, you can hold it in place and turn the nut and then the ply plate inside so the eye doesn't spin and get it very tight and flush to the surface.

[AdriftAtSea]

Opti-

Do you know what those are made of?  Some of the truck hardware is chromed zinc, which has NO PLACE on a boat on salt water.  Chromed zinc fixtures can look fine but be riddled with corrosion damage and fail without warning.  For tether hard points, you want good stainless steel or titanium padeyes IMHO.

[OptiMystic]

They are chrome. Only the eyes are exposed and are inside the cockpit. It's all well above waterline and the interior of my stern is bone dry:



It is a trailer sailor and spends most of its time parked inland. Do you still think there is much risk given those conditions?

[AdriftAtSea]

Andy-

just something to keep in mind if you take the boat to the big salty pond.

[Tim]

Andy, what are the eyes going to be used for? I was would not trust very much strain to those toggles in back myself.

[OptiMystic]

Andy, what are the eyes going to be used for? I was would not trust very much strain to those toggles in back myself.

They are doing one of their jobs in the picture; those rods are part of a mast support for trailering or motoring with the mast down. In rough conditions the mast support would be down and I would clip the gas tank and a day bag to them. They are rated for 1000#. The nut is solid and attached to the toggles. I drilled a hole through the 3/4" ply that the bolt barely fits through (the nut cannot be be pulled through); I don't trust the toggles that much either.

Adrift - I will take it down to the sound often, but it doesn't live there.

[Tim]

I see, Just with all the talk of tethers lately, wanted to make sure, :)

Tim

[David_Old_Jersey]

Cheers for sharing - hope any queries do not put anyone else off from sharing.

Appreciate that everyone has different ways of doing things and reasons / context does not always convey in 2 lines of text and a photo (or 2).....and that some jobs / mods are not intended to be built to survive pitchpoling when sailing around Cape Horn.......

Having said that  ;D I would use the front backing plates. Although the use you describe does not sound like their will be great shock loads, their will be some forces on the fixings which which will in due course create "star crazing" in the Gelcoat around the fixing due to it's small size and edges. Not a structural issue of course, especially given the location - but a PITA to fix / look at......your good move on making the mod accessible could be useful...... ;D

Of course always easy to look over someone else's shoulder......... :P

[OptiMystic]

Another issue with the front plate is that it isn't flat. There is a little dime size bump up at the center. I guess that makes sure that it provides even pressure, but it also made it very difficult to seal properly. But you're right about the access. I need to be able to get at them so I can upgrade to 1" thick ply before I go around the horn.   :o   ;D

I posted here not just to share, but also precisely because I want to hear any concerns from people who outfit little boats as soundly as possible. I can post it a couple of other places where people will tell me what a boat building genius I am if I need an ego boost.  :D

[OptiMystic]

I see, Just with all the talk of tethers lately, wanted to make sure, :)

Tim

One issue I have with tethers is that I really don't know how I could secure one after reading the head spin physics in the other thread.

It is a valid concern to have what looks and feels like a very solid attachment be anything less, though. I think they are probably good for a few hundred pounds of pull applied slowly.