Installing foot straps?

[DanBerger]

I'm looking to install foot straps on my 15 for traction with the spinnaker. I'm thinking about installing two on each side--the front one will bolt to the back of the rear frame and then to the deck. The second one will be behind that towards the stern.

Before anyone says anything, I know you don' t put both your feet in footstraps at the same time. I'm just allowing for a one-time install that will let me adjust and find the best spot.

OK, so the beam bolt is easy, what about the one to the deck? I would like to have an aluminum backing plate to spread the load along the hull, but that would require installing an inspection port on the stern. I have seen them on many other boats but I'm afraid to do it on the 15. The smallest port I have found is 3.5"

The aluminum backing plate I have is a piece of an old Nacra dolphin striker.

I have some toggle bolts, but they require about a 1/2" to 3/4" hole to get the toggle part through and I don't trust the durability of them, especially in a salt water environment.

I also know that the straps will be used to pick up the boat. It is just inevitable that someone will do it because there really isn't any other place to grab on to.

Does anyone have a better idea?

Bill--what say ye on the ports?

[Kevin Keller]

You cane see what I did on mine if you review the pictures from me rebuilding my boat. I already had some holes cut in the bottom to get inside and then I used plastic blocks that I could screw into.

I would not use toggle bolts as I think the point load would be too high. I believe the area you would be installing it has the foam inner core which needs the load to be spread out.

Kevin

[Bill Roberts]

Pro,
All inspection ports leak. They leak becaue the flange of the port becomes warped/distorted under normal sailing loads.
With the old tall rudder heads, you can put your aft foot through the large hole near the top of the ruder head.
Your front foot can push on the rear beam that extends out of the rear beam saddle. Don't use aluminum backing plates.
In time it corrodes with the stainless machine screw especially around salt water. Use G10 plastic to drill and tap into for backing plates.

[DanBerger]

Wow, I'm not sure about using the rudder head--I'm sure I would lose a toe or foot or something! But, I'll try it..

Where can I get strips of that plastic you mentioned? Is that maybe similar to what is used for cutting boards?

[Bill Roberts]

Same song, third verse,"check with the factory".

Other sailors have been using the large open window at the top of the tall rudder head for years to help them stand aft.
Attaching anything to hull surface that was not designed for mechanical attachment is a bad idea. The skin over the foam is about 0.010 ins. thick on both sides of the foam. Even if you put a backing plate on the inside of the hull yo protect the foam to be the nut on the end of the machine screw, it is very easy to over tighten the machine screw and crush the foam from the outside. Also there is not sufficient bearing area between the screw body and the 0.010 ins thick outer skin to carry any loads parallel to the surface of the skin. The hole will become wallowed out, elongated at the surface of the hull, and make a mess in time.
Bill
PS Always, alwaays, always wear shoes when you sail!

[gahamby]

Dan,
Could you fabricate a metal strap that went from the top outboard bolt on the gudgeon to the rear crossbar? That would give you two hard points without breaching the hull. Make it thick enough to get fasteners into for the straps. Bed it down to the hull with 5200 and apply non-skid to the outer surface. Grab a beer and go have a look. GH
After having a few beers and taking a look, I've considered a couple of other options. You could cove out a nice piece of teak and glue it down or cold mold a pad over the area in question. A fiber glass pad is also an option. Made thick enough you could screw down the straps with footman's brackets or just fender washers and screws. You could embed T-nuts in the lamination and fill the threaded part with mold release wax and set machine screws in them. The teak would look real nice and be non-skid to boot. These options would get you away from some serious metalwork. I'll have another one and see how harebrained I can really get.

[T Peterson]

Wow, I have done some risky things (no wait, dumb, as pointed out by Bill - Triple trapezing pyramid style for one) but I would never stick even my booted foot into the top of the rudder frame. That's too scary for me. I sail in a lot of high gusty winds and remember when guys would put foot loops on their Hobie 16s by drilling holes through the deck lip, running a line through the holes, and using pieces of garden hose for the foot loop part. It worked great until they pitchpoled with their feet in the loops...The Supercats don't pitchpole like the Hobies, thank heaven, but they do tip. My one piece of advice is to follow the lead of windsurfers who use foot straps all the time and that is, make the opening just enough to get maybe one quarter of your foot in. It's enough to brace your foot but not so much that a quick tug won't get your foot out. Getting your foot in up to your arch is too far.

By the way, Bill, I LOVED your story about the Round Texel race. I sent it to a lot of people who have sailed with me my on my 17 and told them that's the guy and the technology behind my boat, too. I have never sailed with a crew that didn't speak English, but there are times when I would have liked to...

[Bill Roberts]

Thanks T Peterson,
Remember that foot straps are for your aft foot only. Not your front foot! Your aft foot will pull out of the foot strap naturally as you move/fall forward. If your front foot is in a strap, you could break something as you fall forward and bend your ankle and foot no telling which way as it stays in/under the strap.
Bill

[SC15Av8or]

Straps are a bad thing and I can talk from experience. Last season I had my foot under the hiking strap on the SC19 and took a knock down in a gust. As I slid down the deck my leg slid under the strap and I was pinned just below the knee on the tramp. All of my weight on the one knee trying to bend the way it was not meant too. I heard a pop and thought I had hyper extended my knee. Sailed the rest of the day, de-rigged and drove home. Fast forward to January and I am in the Dr. office being told I had torn my meniscus and had to have 40% removed. The scope pictures looked as if it were a close up of a fiberglass boat that had been t-boned. It pretty much has brought an end to my running unless I want a knee replacement before 60. I can think of only a very few things that are good to strap on to. I will let the true sailors here ponder that thought.