Attachment Methods
Netting Attachment Systems
Proper net attachment hardware is essential to getting a good tight fitting net. This hardware must be strong enough to hold the high loads that the net will place on it, and allow the net to be easily tensioned.
Listed below are some of the net attachment methods that we are aware of that work. Most boats will use a combination of these different methods to create an attachment system that works with the existing structure of the boat and the type of netting to be used.
Deck and Hull track
These are heavy wall aluminum tracks that can be screwed, bolted or riveted to the boats hulls, decks, or beams. These can be used with a boltrope sewn in to the border of the net for a non-tensioning attachment, or with round base lacing slides to make a flexible tensioning attachment. more details
Offset Bar or Tube
By bolting an aluminum or wood bar through spacers to the hull so that it is offset approximately 1/2" from the hull, you can create a strong flexible lacing system. The size of pipe/bar and bolts depend on the bolt spacing, 1/4" bolts and 3/8" x 1" Aluminum flat bar will work with up to 8" spacing, 5/16" bolts and 3/4" stainless tubing are good for up to 14" spacing.
Eye Straps/Pad Eyes
Stainless Steel eye straps can be attached with #10 screws to the hull but should be placed no more that 6" apart. Pad eyes could be placed further apart, up to 24" for a 1/4" padeye through bolted into a backing plate. Both of these create stationary lacing points, where the net must have a flexible lacing points or the lacing points on the net must be made to match the locations on the boat. Also the further apart the lacing points are spaced the more you will limit the types of lacing patterns you can use.
Aluminum Beams
Often Cross beams on boats are made from mast sections that will have an internal track extruded into them. The larger beams will usually take a flat based slide while the smaller ones will take round based slides. Any beam that takes a round based slide could also take a boltrope border. Not all sail slides are suitable for net tensioning. Most of the lower cost plastic slides are not strong enough, and will break when stressed. Nets can also be laced entirely around the beam, although that uses a lot more line and is more visible. With smaller beams, mesh nets can be made with sleeves that slide onto the beam. Mesh nets can also be made to wrap around the beam and lace back to the net on the under side, completely concealing the lacing.
Molded in tubes
This method must be built into the boat, but creates a strong fixed attachment method that does not need any fasteners to be screwed into the hulls. A plastic tube is glassed onto the hull, then openings in the tube are routed out and a smaller diameter stainless steel rod is inserted into the tube. The net is laced through the cutouts around the steel rod.
Cables
If there is no rigid structure that the net can be attached to a suspension
cable will work. Cables do not offer as much support for the net as
a rigid structure, and the nets will not be as firm, but in many situations
this may be the only logical choice. Typically this happens on trimarans
where the bow net areas are not closed in with a Forward beam or in
the wing net areas where the Ama deck is significantly below the
beams.
Cables can be used here to support the net but they should be very
substantial.
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