Foredeck thickness and composition.

jvoelxen · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 15:36 **Posts:** 268

This Spring I'll be installing a windlass. Does anyone know the deck thickness at that point and the composition of the core (i.e., balsa, plywood, etc.)?

Thanks.

Tortuga's Lie · **Joined:** 27 Oct 2006 10:32 **Posts:** 827

Jim,
You're looking at about 3/4" to 13/16". You'll be cutting through the balsa coring, so prepare to hollow this out and fill with an epoxy putty. If you are installing the windlass close to the centerline, you will also be cutting through a core of a plywood strip that's about 2-1/4" wide used for the down-haul track for a spinnaker setup.
I used a hefty backing plate under the windlass of about an inch of marine ply that I epoxied and glassed over. This will spread the load over a wider area. If the windlass gets ripped off, the whole fore-deck is going with it!

Cheers,
Tom

jvoelxen · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 15:36 **Posts:** 268

Thanks Tom. That's very, very helpful.

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Foredeck thickness and composition.

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