Backing plates in Aluminium??

[Terry B 71]

Yep, even I'm not stupid enough to not use the big penny washers.......

[PaulR 3]

I'm with you Willow.

 

Even buying the plastic chopping boards at the big red shed would only cost $30 for a few of them. I made backing plates for the all stanchions and push / pull pits with three $10 boards and still has some left over. No need to go and buy and tub of lanocote. No risk of corrorion. No need to paint or seal. Easy to work with.

 

Yes they work well, and one can cut, shape, smooth the corners, drill and fit them at sea if required or as we did in a Panmure 2Handed 3Legged race 2 years ago, so we could hoist the spinnaker to go to Kawau. Forcast SW failed to appear so we ended up doing both sides before hoisting.

[wheels 543]

Don't go giving Aluminium too bad a rap. Many masts are biult form it, with fittings all mostly held on by SST fastenings. I would not be concerned with useing Ally on the inside of the boat. It would be pretty hard to have them get wet where they will be, so corrosion should not be of any issue. But certainbly go woth what is going to be the easiest.

[Steve Pope 243]

I guess it is easy to give alluminium a bad rap, there "have" been examples of bad installations that guaranteed failure. A lot of the bad Karma though is from the same event being passed on as if each reitteration is a new occurence, each time it is told it takes on a new life with whatever embellishments the new teller likes to add. But given all that is known about alluminium and the development of marine alloys there is little that should / could go wrong, given that the proper proceedures are followed. Just look around at the number of small and not so small commercial craft, from tinnies to fishing boats, pilot boats etc. to very large passenger ferrys and very large pleasure yachts (see Alloy Yachts) the French have a very large alloy yacht industry that goes from strength to strength with innovative world class cruising yachts. Gwalarn was built 33 years ago, she was 1 of 36 Trismus's built out of ally with 360 +- being built it total using all sorts of construction materials. The hull was 5mm then it is 5mm now, aqnd with a modicum of care it will still be 5mm in another 33 years time.

NZ just doesn't have the volume market for alloy to have caught on here, most yachts are one offs or very small runs by international standards, making glass the material of choice, or, 40 to 50 years ago wood.