This bulletin board, hosted by the CDSOA, Inc., is the on-line meeting place for all Cape Dory owners and groups. We welcome everyone's questions, answers and comments about Cape Dory sailboat
Mr. McGuire: "I just want to say one word to you. Just one word".
Benjamin: "Yes, sir".
Mr. McGuire: "Are you listening"?
Benjamin: "Yes, I am".
Mr. McGuire: "Plastics".
Benjamin: "Exactly how do you mean"?
I need brackets to secure raised bulwarks. I constructed this 30" stanchion with G-10, FRP, fiberglass and epoxy.
Very elaborate bracket
Nice work. If it will duplicate or exceed the necessary tests to ensure its use as a life line stanchion is justified you may be looking at a marine niche business. If there is a weight savings over products currently available the racers will be beating a path to your door. Good luck.
The base is modeled after the beautiful bronze brackets that John Stone fabricated for his CD36, Far Reach.
My thanks to John for his advice along the way.
At 3 lbs, this stanchion weighs about 33% more than the stainless stanchion. There are a lot of time consuming steps involved in making them, not the least of which is waiting for epoxy to harden. If only there was a 3D printer that could manufacture objects in G-10 laminate or better yet, bronze.
Nice job! Looks like a job for equal parts epoxy and beer.
I have often wondered if bulwarks could be added to the stock stanchions by using composite decking (which is fairly flexible and light) and stainless U-bolts. It obviously wouldn't be the classiest job and I wouldn't rely on them for ocean crossing but it might work for 99% of the sailing 99% of the people do. I do use a length of that decking bolted to my stanchions to lash diesel cans and it has held up very well. People are always surprised to hear it's not real wood (though a closer inspection would make it clear that it's not).
Metal bends and plastic breaks. Plastic is fantastic for all sorts of things. If I were to hit a stanchion hard enough to really need it, there would be comfort in knowing that it would only bend and not snap off completely. For all the carbon fiber on boats like the Volvo 65s, they still use metal stanchions. The head is carbon fiber but the safety gear is stainless.
Your base looks like it could be easily used to make a bronze mold. Obviously bronze isn't a cheap material, but what do you think the cost and time difference is between fabricating the remaining bases in the same manner or having them made from bronze at a shop somewhere. Perhaps the cost could be cut further with a group purchase?
