Fastening heavy items to liner?

[Bill NH]

What is the preferred method of mounting something to the liner in a location where one doesn't have access to the back side?

Small lightweight items like a VHF I can use self-tapping screws to attach the base to the liner, but on the other end of the spectrum I have a SeaSwing stove to install just to starboard of the companionway above the icebox. This will be quite a bit heavier, especially with a full pot of water on it - I can't see just screwing it into the thin liner.

One possibility would be to cut a hole in the liner and epoxy a substantial hardwood block directly to the inside (back) of the cabin which is alot thicker and stronger than the lining. I'd then have a solid substrate to attach the stove with longer screws, or even SS machine screws right through as there will no longer be a void, leaving the heads and trim washers on the outside of the cabin.

Similarly, I could epoxy a block to the inside of the liner and just use screws. Through-bolting wouldn't be an option though, as I'd worry about compressing and cracking the liner because of the void space. This might be an option for smaller items that one is unconfortable mounting just into the thin liner though...

Any way to fill the void between liner and cabin in just that area (injecting very thick epoxy through a couple of holes drilled in the liner?) to fill the gap and support throughbolting without removing a chunk of the liner?

How about bonding the stove base directly to the liner in addition to screws into the liner? Would that be strong enough? If so, what would the recommended adhesive be, realizing that at some point a future owner might not want the stove bracket there?

Comments and/or suggestions?

[David]

Have you considered an alternate location for your Sea Swing (spilling boiling water onto the top of your icebox hatch??). I think a clever arrangement for a Sea Swing stove would be to have two mounting locations for in port or on anchor cooking, and cooking while underway.

For cooking when you don't need the swing feature of the stove, I would position it so the propane bottle drops into a stainless cup mounted flush with the counter top so the whole stove is mounted lower and the "cup" keeps the stove from swinging. For cooking underway, the stove would be raised up higher and mounted so the bottle is above the countertop and can swing freely. It's just a thought--but maybe using a vertical board mounted to the seatee bulkhead in such a way that it has two positions--lower and higher--to mount the stove.

Alternately if you want it to swing all the time perhaps that location could work for you as well instead of against the aft cabinside.

Something like this location is what I was thinking about: http://www.tritonclass.org/mir/236stove.html

[Chris Campbell]

Interesting problem. For some reason I like the idea of cutting away the liner and epoxying a block of wood in to screw to - but that does mean that if you or a future owner change your mind about where the stove goes that there is a hole in the liner which is a pain to patch. Your idea of gluing the mount directly to the liner would solve this as long as it was strong enough and could be released later. For this I'd suggest 5200, since while tenacious (very!) it can be coaxed undone at a later date. This of course will only work if the liner is strong enough on it's own to give adequate support to the stove - it won't be very satisfying to use if the mount creaks and groans as the liner flexes underneath it...

[kendall]

why not cut the liner, install a block, then reinstall the cutout section?
Maybe do that and install quick release dzus type fasteners in a couple locations so that the stove could be easily moved around or stored away and still show a nicely finished liner.


Ken.

[Quetzalsailor]

Could you be a bit more clear about your problem? Hull liner? Overhead liner? Material? What holds the liner into the boat? Distance between substrate and liner?