((Whenever possible, we use the pipes or the lock’s “coated cables” to a line “round turned” on the midship cleat; we use the “hanging ropes” when there is no alternative.))
On Monday, while transiting “The Flight” she was on her feet for two or three hours…NOT good for someone with MS. It was unhealthy.
Problem solved, and she now has more confidence with all the locking we have coming up over the next several months.
Most (not all) lock masters let us pick which side we prefer. For the rare occasions when we NEED to lock starboard-side-to, she can sit on the molded F/G stairs on that side.
If we need to do the same project to starboard, we will.
It will be a bit more complex as we have a door on that side, and the gunwales are not “level” aft of the cleat. We’ll MacGiver somethin’ with spacers if need be.
Total Project Cost today: $112 incl 8% NYS sales tax; (the 1/2” plastic sheet of ‘Starboard’ brand stock was most of that.)
5 Tips:
When screwing into fiberglass, 1) countersink your pre-drilled holes a bit so the gelcoat won’t develop “spider” cracks from the holes in the months following a screw going in. 2) F/G does not ‘give’ like wood, so finding the right drill bit size will be just a hair smaller than the threads of your screws. 3) for a truly very permanent screw into F/G I dip the screw threads into 3M 5100 before screwing them in. (That was not necessary for this project.) 4) I purchase SMALL tubes of 3M 5100, cuz most of my projects don’t require much product! 5) When resealing my tube, I put the tube in a zip-lock bag, and put it in the boat’s refrigerator. This makes that tube last for months instead of days… (without hardening) for the next time I need some!
Addendum: