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Is there any fine people out there that have done the conversion from brackets to lashings on a classic? I have the plan sheet and it's a little inadequate for my partial engineering mind especially the bracings inside the hull..can anybody shed some light?

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A satisfactory conversion was made (by a previous owner) on a 23 ft Hinemoa I had for a while. Cleats had been bolted and bonded with fibreglass rovings below beam stations. Inside the hulls, bolts need to have chocks which carry loads into the bulkheads or frames, and outside the rovings loop over the cleats in a bunch before being splayed out over a large area of the hull side below them [cleats]. It is possible to cover the rovings with cloth, then do some filling and fairing to tidy the job up.......this had not been done on the Hinemoa, so it did look a little rough.

So this is one way to do a conversion, although there are no doubt other ways too

Thanks Jeremy.

Matt; Why do y want to go with lashings? I built a classic Tangaroa yrs ago; the bolts and back-up bracing were not hard, aside from all the metal cutting , but if y can use an abrasive cut-off disc on a 7" grinder y can cut off 3" wide slices from 4x4 inchx1/4" galvanized angle iron, and drill the 1/2" holes on a drill press. The reason I think the classic solution is good for the Tangaroa is that we were confronted with going to weather for long stretches in the North Sea and the Caribbean, and the steel solution with neoprene buffers worked flawlessly...dennis

Metal corrodes, or in the case of s/steel becomes brittle and needs periodic replacement anyway. Since there is a sacrificial nature in materials joining Polynesian catamaran components, it is entirely satisfactory to use lashings which can be replaced anywhere at any time. No tools are needed and spares (cordage) can be carried with very little cost or inconvenience. This is a solution which is most appealing about Wharram designs after the introduction of lashings.

In connection with this question; I have recently had the pleasure of a visit aboard the Hokulea and had a chat to the skipper who has worked on this vaka for much of it's life. Apparently the lashed structure is stiff and allows not much independent movement of hulls, has lasted a good while and is still going strong.The  Polyester lashing have been good for seven years at a time. Compared to the above, there is heaps of wear and movement, besides corrosion, in all the metal bracketry of the early Wharrams. Metal in contact with beams is a maintenance issue, and bolt holes through decks are a major source of rot.

Thanks for your input guys,I'm going lashings all the way for reasons of future maintenance and for lack of through bolts, screws and other fittings. Once installed they are too easy to maintain.

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