Deck Thickness/Bow Chocks?

V

Valkyrie

New member
Hi Brats,

I'm planning on adding bow chocks to Valkyrie and was wondering if anyone knows just how thick the foredeck is.

I'm not sure if I'm going to through-bolt and use a backing plate of some sort or just overdrill the hole, fill it with West Systems epoxy and use screws. It depends on the deck thickness.

Any ideas?

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
I will be doing the same with my Tomcat. I was leaning to overdrill, fill with epoxy paste, then using screws too...would be interested to read the collective wisdom.
 
Total thickness where I cut out for the windlass was 13/16" made up of a hair under 1/2" balsa core, a 3/16" deck and a 1/8 inner lining sandwich.

2005 C-22

Don
 
I did this on our 2007 22 Angler, to keep mooring lines from chafing on the bow rail stanchions. Used 1-1/4" SS screws with fender washers as backers inside and nylox nuts. Bedded the hardware in quick dry 5200. The area in the cuddy underneath is so far forward/to the side that there is very little risk of someone hitting or scraping the protruding screw, but I used cap nuts anyway. The chocks (I call them fairleads) were even marked R and L for orientation. One of those quick, easy, high payoff modifications that we all love! Good luck. Mike.
 
Nick,
I added bow chock to CompanionShip. The deck is about 1" thick so I used 1 1/2" screws and 1 1/4" fender washers as backing. I used a thick layer of 4200 to bed the chocks. We sit on a mooring with two pennants, so the chocks eliminated the chafing. I haven't got to it yet, but I plan to add a small piece of self-stick plastic or vinyl on the hull to protect the gelcoat where the line goes overboard.
Jim
 
Thanks to all of you.

Valkyrie came with 150 of chain, which I replaced with 25 feet of 1/4 chain and 300 feet of 1/2 inch line. With the chocks I'll be able to lead the line around the windlass and to the bow cleat without chafe.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Nick and other Brats who have done this,

I've been thinking about the same thing for C-Cakes and have been unsure about just where to put the fairleads/chocks. Would you provide photos and explain why you chose your particular location? I am planning to throughbolt.

Thanks.
 
Barry,
I did this on Kingfisher and will post some pictures later today. However I must say that if I did it again I would go for bigger fairleads so you can get a good layer of anti-chafe. I will give the dimensions of the ones I used when I post the pics.

Merv
 
Barry,
Picture now on page #5 of Kingfisher album. I used through bolts with backing washers and dome nuts (and you need two pairs of hands !! Should be sufficient since most of the loading is shear.

Would recommend larger units simply to get heavier duty mooring line/anchor rode through there together with some anti-chafe.

Merv
 
As I watch what people do with any kind of hardware that might have a line attached to it -AND- in my experience with the USCG AUXILIARY in towing boats in emergencies . . . whatever I put on my boat (chocks, cleats, fairleads, or posts) that might possibly be tied to, grasped onto, pulled at, and hooked ~ I backplate. (Yes! there is the otherside nuts, bolts, plates that might be bumped into and there is a moisture-leakage issue . . . but there are ways to deal with both those issues!!)
Just my humble opinion based on my modest observations.
Bruce
therevdr on DRIFTWOOD DREI
 
The C-Brats come through again!

Thanks for all of the good advice, especially Grumpy's photos - good detail.

Valkyrie will be pulled for the season next week and I plan on getting everything ready NOW for our trip to FL this winter and next year's fishing and cruising.

I'll post a few cabin upgrades next week.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
I did mine like Merv but used one size larger fairleads and installed them further aft. I wanted to install them on the flat spot like he did, but it interfered with my anchor deck pipe if I recall. I think, but am not sure, that I ended up installing mine on the nonskid. There may have been enough room on the flat edge portion to install there and still have room for the washers to sit flat below (the boat is in Anacortes and I'm in Seattle). With the bigger size hardware the line comes up and out of the fairlead at times, mainly when handling. Pretty secure once you're tied off. Best to all! Mike.
 
When you're anchored and are either in heavy weather or expect weather, you don't want the bow roller assy or windlass taking the load of the anchor and rode. You want to route it to your bow cleat through one fairlead or the other, keeps chafing down and prevents scratching the gelcoat in that area.
 
These terms are often used interchangeably.

However, in my own experience (for whatever that's worth), "fairlead" is more often used to describe blocks or bullseyes used on sailboats to direct halyards or reefing lines to cleats, sheetstoppers or winches.

While I used the term "bow chocks", I guess the more accurate term would be "line chocks". I said bow chocks due to their use and location.

You can see what I mean by looking in any boating catalog in the deck hardware and sailing hardware sections.

Once again, it's just a matter of semantics, if that matters.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
I installed this hardware on our boat to direct/corral/prevent chafing of our forward mooring lines, not so much the anchor line. Our forward line is always run aft to the cleat or rail on the float we tie to. They were installed on our previous Dory, and I assumed were standard factory equipment, but must have been installed by the owner before me. Without them, the mooring line chafes against the base of the forward bow rail stanchion as it wraps around on its way back. This hardware gets an occasional jolt when the boat is moored and a passing wake causes her to buck against the lines; I opted to through-bolt for this reason. With the epoxy plug method your attachment would be (2) 1/4" screws with a maximum purchase of 5/8" into the deck. The hardware base might also not cover the entire plug which would look rough. I think you'd also be in for more of a project and would need 2 separate days to complete the installation. Needless to say, use enough bedding sealant to achieve "squeeze-out" or you're creating a potential leak. Mike.
 
Apart from going to a larger size I would also mount them further aft if I had to do it again. Pain there is that you have to deal with the non-skid and I was just too darn lazy to get ito that at the time.
For mooring (More than a hour or so) I use the front tie-down hook and a 5/8" line with a rubber "Snubber" with SS Carabiners on each end for quick and easy release.
If you ever try this from a dinghy in choppy seas, watch out for the anchor it tends to hit you on the head !! Which answers a lot of questions.....

Merv
 
I agree Nick (Valkyrie), fairlead is more of a term used on sailboats, bow chock is more specific to its usage that we're talking about on both sail and power boats. That was a slip from all my years of sailing...took me years to understand there are no 'ropes' on a sailboat, only 'lines'!!!

And BTW, you can still get chafing, now from the bow chocks! For longer periods of anchoring or during storms, the line needs to be wrapped with anti-chafing material (leather, vinyl, a T-shirt...).
 
Dora~Jean":fq6ro5ib said:
you can still get chafing, now from the bow chocks!
Click to expand...

I get chafing, but mostly from tight shorts! :oops:

Here's a pic from my album, you can see where the chocks/fairleads/bow thingy's (the last one is a technical term) if you blow it up a little.

Photo_42.sized.jpg


Captain's Choice is now up in Deale Maryland with new owners. Have been waiting for them to post, at least one of them is a Brat. If they don't do it soon, I'll blow their cover!


Charlie
 
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