C-Forum

Hello,

I have a Drakkar Wheelboy, and wondered what the best way to attach the straps to the saddle was, The saddle seems to be composite and i dont want to damage it if i attach screws that just rip throught with any tension. Any ideas anyone? I have already seem the Wheelboy outfitting guide on Cboats Outfitting guide but am nit sure how these straps attach to the saddle.

Any other help would be appreciated..

Col

Col,

I drilled a big hole in the top of the console right in front of the saddle in the narrowest area of the console to gain access to the inside for attaching hardware.
I the drilled then holes for 5/16" bolts into the sides of the console. I then put sone epoxy around the edges of the newly drilled holes to keep them from fraying, or so I hope. I then attached the d-ring patches using the the largest washers I could find.
I think using the largest washers you can find is a crucial part is a crucial step when attaching straps to any boat.
This will spread out the loads over the largest possible area and thus limit the stress on any given point.
I use fender or body washers with on OD of ~2", they work well so far on all the boats I installed straps or lapbelts in.

martin a.k.a. The Great Gonzo!

Col
I did it a bit different from Martin but same concept.
I placed the anchor points (1 for each thigh strap) on either side of the saddle (verse the single point I think Martin is using) and I used goop to keep the fraying down. Used is to help as a nut locking material as well.
I also used large Stainless Steel washers and nuts and bolts (you can get them at a good hardware store).
I took the whole saddle assembly out to do the work (per Adam and other's suggestion and I concur) - its not that hard and makes getting your drill point easier (measure 2x drill once).
One thing I did extra was place a large 2" washer on the inside of the saddle, then a 2" on the outside of the saddle, installed the straps, then place a 2" outside the strap so that both the saddle and straps were individually sandwiched. A bit over kill but inexpensive insurance against failure. This way each of the belts have a little bit of play under stress.
I also placed the nut on the inside (to keep me from possibly cutting myself on the threads in the future even though the length was good) and used a plastic lock nut with goop on the thread to help keep it place).
Question - where are you placing the upper strap contact anchor points? There was some discuss on this and both solutions presented seemed to work well.
Let us know how it goes! Paul C.

Why not glass them?

Actually, I've gotten away from thighstraps in mine--I use a lap belt and a piece of 1" minicell that I squish between my thighs and the cockpit rim. Much better contact than thighstraps, and much easier to get out of.

I didn't like the smaller cockpit of the wb at first---entrapment issues--but it really does give much better support and contact with the boat. I'm definitely for it now.