Deck hardware plan, and

[ebb]

Thanks Tim!
Here's my take, for what it's worth.
Course you'd need two of'em. The tariff starts getting unreasonable after that! Probably need strut bolts too. $$ Imco the bolts should be US made as they should have a solid shank with threads only at the bottom.

Guy on Cape Dory site says something real important when discussing backing plates for this Spartan chock. That is, the fastenings be very close to the hull. Maybe closer on the Ariel. You'll be lucky to be able to slip washers on the bolts. (Of course I'm assuming the cove on either side of the cut you're making in the rail will be filled so you can see the bolt ends and nuts of the flanges down below.

With 338's new wood toerail many times I slanted the bolts in at a real generous angle - I thought - and often there was barely enough room to turn the nut on. Though the situation is different in that the coves in 338 were already filled and level with the deck inside - more depth. Was lucky I didn't get into more trouble than I did! Have to keep in mind that the hull is turning inward the deeper a hole is drilled from the rail. Also the factory buildup of matt over the hull/deck joint was thicker in some places than others in 338. That made the hull overall thicker at the seam. Hard to judge the angles. (Had to grind into the hull at times where the bolt came thru to put a washer on. Nope, didn't grind thru the hull. These Spartan fittings are amidships so making allowance for hull thickness it should be straight forward. It always was a surprise on 338 - about 50 of them!)

But, also pointed out on the C.D. site, there isn't much in the way of redundant strength in the way this narrow Spartan fitting has to be installed. All the fastenings are right at the edge of the boat and in a straight line. The load can be spread out some by building up the deck underneath inside imco - a super built-in-place backing plate.

Suppose you built a long and wide pad up of about 3/8" thickness..... Five thru bolts into that and it'd be hard to imagine the fitting will ever pull out. With bronze bolts I'd add some plywood too to build in some give for the softer metal. When you cut the rail out where the fitting will be, there will be a hole that requires a new bottom to it. Just won't be able to tab in a whole lot of fabric and still have room for nuts and washers on the bolts.

There is the problem of tieing back the hull to the deck in way of the cut. Because the bolts will be so close to the hull I'll make an assumption that there will be no way to tab the deck to the hull where the cut is made in the rail - right there where it's needed. One or two layers of fabric for waterproofing, that's it. The hull/deck tie-in might be made with MULTIPLE STRIPS from deck to hull BETWEEN the bolts (and over the backing pad.) Could work! Once the rail is cut and a fitting is in hand, it will become clear what the solution will be. Hard to imagine what this rather unusual installation will entail. Visually, the bolt ends and nuts will appear to be in little coves, if built up as suggested. It's hard to visualize without the seeing the fitting.

Awrahhht, whose guuna do it?
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[Might have talked myself out of it for 338's wood rails. I like the fitting, BUT have an innate problem with a working cleat that far outboard - and on a wood rail. Imagine what forces there would be on the fitting with a 90 degree pull on it from the dock. It's strength comes only when the pull on it is more fore and aft -as with spring lines.

Mentally I saw the fitting palled up with two widely spaced cleats on deck. That is, for me the fitting would serve better as a double fairlead chock, and the center cleat hardly ever used. And then forgot about it because it was getting complicated.

Also given the narrow angles of the spring lines coming aboard thru the fitting, I thought the hard edges at the ends of the chock pretty severe. But could they be filed rounder? The cleat base is nicely rounded, they might have done the same with the ends! Maybe it's not an issue. Haven't actually held these guys, first hand.]