Table Instability

C

Captains Cat

New member
Just returned from a week long cruise out of Potomac River, down Chesapeake, through Norfolk/Portsmouth thence down ICW Great Dismal Swamp Canal across Albemarle Sound, back up ICW Albemarle Canal and northward up Chesapeake.

Just off York Spit light, in quite heavy 6-8 ft seas, my navigator, in changing the helm watch leaned on the dinette table corner, went down in a heap and fractured his left ankle. :cry: Have had problems with table collapsing before but this was the first casualty because of it. How have others dealt with this? Am considering Tyboo's forward facing modification for one of the seats, notice he has two legs on his table, this would certainly help. Any other suggestions?
 
Hi Charlie,

I'm assuming that you have the table with the two 90-degree 'tangs' that drop into their respective fittings mounted on the side of the cabin. If so and you look closely at how they interlock under the table you'll find that the protrusion on the 'tang', that engages a hole in the reciever part, is all that holds things together. It's imperative that the protrusion fully engage the hole or the result is that which you experienced. The alignment of the parts is critical and there isn't much room for error; the angles must be "right on". Personally, if you don't actually remove the table much, I'd suggest installing a positive latch under the table latching the table top down (with the other part of the latch fixed to the cabin side).

Mike's two-legged set up would help but wouldn't solve the problem. The outboard end of Mike's ex-TyBoo doesn't use the same tangs and receiver setup the new boats do. Instead, the older boats had a full length 'track' into which an opposing piece 'nests' for a much more secure situation.
 
Charlie,

I replaced the fold up leg on my table with a rigid leg. Its made of SS rail fittings from West Marine, two 90 dregree base fittings and a length of 7/8 SS tubing.
The table is now very strong and there is no danger of having the leg fold up.
We don't ever convert the dinette to a bunk so thats not a problem for us.

Larry
 
Charlie -

Oh man, what a shame. Folks aren't supposed to break things attached to them! I hope your navigator is doing well.

Keep an eye on this thread for DavidA to weigh in. He changed, or added to, the table mounting devices for the same reasons you're describing. He also did the seat conversion on at least two boats, and I believe his table mount modification helped with that, too.

The mount that is on the former TyBoo, as Les says, is different. It is a full length interlocking track. It was kind of a hassle sometimes getting the table edge into it, but once secured, it would almost hang without the leg. The two legs it has now came with the seat conversion.

Unless you improve the gizmo holding the table to the wall, another leg isn't going to help much. Les' suggestion of a latch is a pretty good idea. Even if you do move the table often, it won't be much of an extra step to release a simple latch.
 
Mike/Larry/Les: Thanks for the prompt responses! The latches on the cabin bulkhead are not much good even if the "tang" is fully inserted. If you push on a table corner, it goes down and the opposite tang comes up no matter what. I really think two legs, one on each corner is the answer. Would not be beyond a positive latch of some sort at the tang end too.

Nav is doing pretty well, he goes to Bethesda today for a reevaluation. Had two plates and 6 pins in the bones. He's a retired Navy two star and I'm a retired Captain (O-6). You'd think we knew better. When the furor dies down I'll get some pix posted. Even have one of the ambulance hauling him off!

Still plan to do the seat conversion a la Tyboo, Mike, I assume that was in a 22 footer, even though your sig block lists a CD 25 now?
 
Charlie I drilled a hole through the goofy engagement punch outs on the table mounted tabs and used 1/4 x 3/8 stainless lag bolts (hex head) to lock everything in place. Easy to remove and simple.

sj
 
Steve, thanks. Please clarify, did you put a hole in the tab attached to the table or in the bracket attached to the cabin side? If I put a threaded hole in the bracket, I can screw a bolt down against the tab and hold it..
 
We discovered the table instability when encountering an ocean going tanker on the James River. The dog had been sleeping under the table, so you can immagine the confusion. But, nothing like a broken ankle.

On the 2003 22 Cruiser, the key seems to be holding the table leg in place. If that's done, the engagements on the side of the hull remain positive, and there doesn't seem to be any way the table will come loose. If that's the case in your application, the hold down can be accomplished with a simple chrome platted door latch available from West Marine. Attach the hook to the leg, and the eye to the floor (not the hatch) right below. You can also build clamps or engagements a bunch of different ways, which I did, but if I had it to do over again, I'd just go for the hook and eye.

Haven't had the problem since, and have hit some pretty impressive wakes.

We've done the route you described, and the trip is something special.
 
Charlie,

I replaced the factory brackets with a pair of slide apart hinges. That locks the table in place and neither corner can come up when the opposite center of the boat corner is pressed down. You have to get the hinges installed just right or you can't slide the two pieces together. I think I took some pictures of them on my Anna Leigh album. If I knew how to put the link on here I would.
 
We had the same problem when we got Fishtales. PJ almost hit the deck when the table gave way. I had to take a hammer and tighten the "tangs" up. I just tapped on them till they would hold under pressure and still release when I wanted to remove the table. Haven't had any more trouble since.
Good luck
 
Charlie the receiving mount that the table mounting tabs slide into has holes already for the "engagement tab". What I did was to take the mounts off the table and hammer the engagement tab more or less back into it's punchout. I then drilled a 1/4" hole through the engagement tab. Put everything back together and mounted the table. The 3/8" long lag bolt will screw into the new engagement tab hole through the factory hole on the wall mounts and into the balsa core wall about an 1/4" inch (pre-drilled)

I wanted the lag bolts to screw into the new table tab hole not just pass through it. Still may not be clear if so let me know and I will post a picture.

stevej
 
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