Forestay attachment repair

[Larry Ludwig]

.... have you ever had to replace or repair the forestay attachment and you didn't have a baboon handy? How else are you going to reach waaaaaaaay up there in the bow and back up that nut plate or glue something....

Anyone that has been through my shop (and found there way back out again alive) will tell you that I have always had a fascination for magnets, the Rare Earth type in particular. So.. there I was.. needing to replace the forestay attach point on the deck of this boat and wouldn't you know it I gave my baboon the week off to visit friends and avoid the monthly I.N.S.inspector (insert Kim young il voice here) HANS BRIX! OH NO! do you have any idea how BUSY I AM!)

So... I took my piece of wood to back up the fitting, and taped a rare earth magnet on the top side of the deck where the piece needed to line up... and taped another magnet on one end of the piece and put my 5 min epoxy on the other end and then made like a baboon and reached as far up there as I could and then the magnets snapped together. Voila! [:D]

Since I pop a chalkline on the deck when I am installing (.001 gram)
all I had to do to check alignment was put the mirror in and the good ol Texas Sunshine streaming down made sighting through the deck a snap and the line was bisecting the piece pefectly.

How much force you ask.. does the magnet pair apply? Well.. I can get over 1 lb of force through a 3/4" piece of plywood. [:0]

Once the epoxy has set, all I do is remove the magnet off the top of the deck and the other one drops down inside the boat. I have to remember to remove it before putting the radio back in, or it might bend something inside the servos. [}:)]

(ps... yes it is THAT powerful and less than 1 sq")