Installation of a Spray on a Valiant 40

Drilling the ¼ in. Guiding Hole
In order to make sure the hole is drilled perfectly level and parallel with the keel, we recommend using a 18 inch long ¼ in. drill bit, easily found in most hardware stores. A longer bit allows putting a short level on the bit to ensure the hole is drilled perfectly level.

Aligning the Hole Left and Right
A longer bit also makes it easier for an assistant, looking from above, to guide left or right and ensure the hole is drilled perfectly parallel with the keel.

Keeping the Hole Horizontal
After filing a flat spot on the bit for the hole saw set screw, the hole saw can also be used with the longer bit, which ensures the larger hole is also drilled level and parallel with the keel.

Cuting the hole
If the hole saw is kept level and parallel, it will not bind and the hole will be drilled quite easily, using moderate pressure on the drill.

Hole
After drilling, the hole may require being filed in some places with a small flap wheel to ensure the mounting tube is level and parallel.

Marking the Mounting Tube
After the mounting tube is inserted and positioned, the edge of the hole is marked both inside and out with a grease pencil (easier to erase than a felt marker).

Marking for Grinding
On the inside, the mark can be brought forward to allow a fillet or a fiberglass tape to adhere to the roughened part of the tube. In the case of this Valiant, the hull was thick enough and a fillet was strong enough. On a thinner transom, a fiberglass tape should be used to increase bonding surface.

Grinding the Tube
The surface of the mounting tube is roughened with a grinder, to ensure better adhesion of the epoxy stay abt. 1/8 inside of the aft mark, to ensure nothing will show after the tube is bonded in place.

Drilling Hole in Strut
This hole should be drilled perfectly square to the tube. If a press-drill is not available, a small square should be used.

Cutting Strut to Length and Drilling Hole
The struts holding the forward end of the Mounting Tube are cut to length with a hacksaw (using masking tape to ensure the strut is cut square) and a hole is drilled ½ in. from the end for the ¼ in. bolt. A center punch makes sure the hole is drilled in the right position.

Marking Holes for Strut
The forward struts are positioned on the mounting tube, the position of the holes is marked on the tube. Holes are 1 ¾ in. apart and a caliper makes it easier to ensure holes are drilled the right distance apart.

Bonding the Tube to the Hull
First, clear epoxy is applied to the roughened part of the mounting tube, and to the inside of the hole.

Applying thickened Epoxy
Then, epoxy thickened with filler is applied on the tube and inside of the hole.

Mounting Tube in Place
The Mounting Tube is inserted, the forward struts bolted, then running epoxy is cleaned with either acetone or alcohol before curing.

Mounting Tube with Horizontal Axis, Quadrant and Struts
Seen from the inside. The two pairs of bolts above the hinges fasten the upper end of the struts.

Grinding to Remove Paint
The surface on the inside of the hull where the pads will be bonded needs to be sanded to remove existing paint so epoxy will adhere.

Ground surface of Hull
Area where pads will be bonded is now bare fiberglass.

Wooden pads with blocks (over and under)
The windvane quadrant being mounted in the down position, turning blocks for the control lines must be fastened to the hull by bolting them on plywood pads, then epoxying these pads to the hull. Note that the flat-head bolts are countersunk, inserted from the bottom with nuts on the top. Note also beveled edges of pads to help bonding with fiberglass tape.

Glassing the pads in place
Pads are bonded by first painting both surfaces with clear epoxy, then applying thickened epoxy to fill all voids. Then, glass tape is applied over edges.

Glassed Pads
Pads have been bonded to the hull, with additional bond by fiberglass tape.

Rigging of Control Lines
Control lines coming from windvane quadrant are led through a first turning block on pad, then to block on yacht’s steering disk, then back to fairlead on pad, then (through more fairleads if needed) to jamming cleats in cockpit.

Turning Blocks on Yacht’s quadrant (or rather, disk)
Turning blocks are fastened to yacht’s steering disk in a position which makes a right angle between direction of pull and direction of rudder axis, at a distance equal to windvane quadrant’s radius.

Fairleads
Note that only the segment of the control line between the windvane quadrant and steering disk moves when vane is in operation and needs to be led through blocks; the other segment does not move, it is only held in tension and can be led through fairleads.

Jamming cleats
The jamming cleats are placed above the hole, so that the control lines are pulled tight and cleated in the same movement (this is not so easy when the cleats are placed below the holes). Whenever possible, they should be close together, so that the two control lines can be knotted together, which ensures vane is connected with rudder amidships and servo-pendulum vertical and makes it easy to visualize how much weather (or lee) helm is given, if any is needed on a given point of sail.

The CapeHorn Installed
How elegant and neat installation! The struts holding the windvane tower are cut and drilled in the same manner as the struts supporting the horizontal axle.

Close-up
The CapeHorn uses only four inches of space aft of the boat.

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