Adding grab loops to a glass boat?

[sbroam]

I picked up a Maverick+ pretty cheap last fall and hope to race it soon. I have a suspicion that grab loops are not just a good idea but also a race requirement - unfortunately this boat doesn't have them and never did. Any suggestions on how to add them? Here's what it looks like :

<img SRC="http://bookwoman.net/scott/pix/Maverick_bow_end.JPG" alt=" " width="500" >

<img SRC="http://bookwoman.net/scott/pix/Maverick_stern_end.JPG" alt=" " width="500" >

In the stern, there is that recess that is clearly intended for a loop. I was thinking of drilling a hole, fishing a knotted loop through the hole (knot on the inside), then pouring some epoxy in.

[pevans]

You're on the right track. Charlie Walbridge's book suggest using a slurry of resin mixed with chopped fiberglass, sawdust, even flour. Just so that it is a bit stronger and it's easier to work with. Frayed ends on the inside will also help the loop anchor better. The book has some good diagrams as well. Its worth picking up a copy if you don't have it. I find it is a good book to keep on hand for all kinds of projects. Also, keep the loops as flat as possible (on the underside if there is no recess). I've cleaned several gates only to have a stray grabloop catch a pole at the last second.

Good luck,

Paul

[sbroam]

I've got a copy of Walbridge's book - didn't think to look in there - doh! What about webbing? I think I could get webbing to lay pretty flat.

Wouldn't it have been a lot easier to put these in before it was seamed together?!

[APC as guest]

Much easier pre-seaming - but you are where you are Scott! Webbing will work but getting inside to coat and finishing a clean / dry job is can be an issue - athought there are tricks (again see Charlie's book).
I think "puddling" the ends with a resin slurry first then drilling out holes for the rope works best. I adds little weight and strenths the area for the grab loop.
If you just drill out, apply rope, and then coat - remember to protect the rope from the resin (a duct tape wrap). Otherwise the resin gets sucked back into the rope and the rope gets stiff, then your catching things and it loooks ugly and,.....
I think you get the picture!

[Guest]

JR Sweet used to do an end pour of resin slurry with cut-up glass scraps/milled-fibers and/or micro-balloons. Then he drilled two 5/16" holes a few inches apart through the deck (into the end pour) and hull along the centerline of the boat.

He threaded each end of a foot long 1/4" nylon rope through each hole in the deck and tied a fisherman's knot to complete the grab loop on the hull side. He repeated the process at the other end of the boat.

The grab loop was always available, anchored in a very solid end pour, and was flush with the deck for sneaking gates. Very nice!

The end pour is done when the boat has been seamed on the inside, and before walls are installed. You can do it with the walls in, but probably will have to use the "cup on a string" method in such circumstances. Use a very small cup, and it will still be a bit messy.

Just be sure to use a very slow batch of resin for end pours. Besides the heat generation problem of a fast batch "going off" in mass, you want to resin to have plenty of time to flow well into the ends of the boat (and off the walls if they are already installed) before it gels in order to get a good, solid end pour. (You want as few bubbles of air to remain in the end pour as possible.)

If you are going to need a very liquidy mix because the walls are installed, go easy on the resin thickeners. The milled fibers (or cut-up glass scraps) make a pretty thick resin slurry. Microballons, flour, or sawdust makes for a thinner slurry if mixed carefully.

All this is in Walbridge's book.

[Mike W.]

First off I have not added grab loops to a glass boat so I have no experience in this. I did recently add rope thigh-strap-anchors to my wildwater boat. I don't see why this method would not also work for grab loops. See page 102 of Walbridge's book. To make it look a little better you could do the small glass strips to hold down the ends & then cover the whole thing with one big patch. Just cut a slit down the center for the rope loop to be exposed. John Sweet recomended this to me. I did mine just a bit differently though. I cut small holes in the big patch for the ends of the rope to go through & put the rope through the patch before glassing the ends down. Then I layed down the big patch & applied resin. Use peel-ply to make it look even better