With some home projects squeezed in this holiday weekend, today I was left with limited time on Biscuit and knowing I would have a full day the following day, I made a quick trip out to make a small progression in the hardware installations. Having recently over-drilled and filled the fastener holes for the swiveling fairlead-cam cleat for the mainsheet, I wanted to get this item tucked away on Biscuit's aft deck. This mainsheet cam cleat swivels 360-degrees (though will normally only travel ~120-degrees), and includes a cam cleat that locks down the mainsheet and a fairlead that managing entry into the cam cleat as it comes off the traveler system. Arriving at the shop, I got straight into the install.

I grabbed all tools and materials and headed for Biscuit's hind quarters. After applying some protective tape to the deck, I used a block of wood to ensure 90-degree entry of the smallest of a series of bits to ream out the epoxy-filled holes, and ultimately ended with a bit used to pre-drill for tapping #8 stainless steel machine screws. After tapping for the three machine screws, I vacuumed up the spoils and cleaned the deck with acetone. I applied a bit of white Sitkaflex to the slightly chamfered fastener holes, and then placed the swiveling cam cleat in place with one of the #8 machine screws. I drove the machine down to a firm seating, rotated the cam cleat to the next fastener location (the fairlead allowed access to one of the fasteners at a time) and drove that one down to a firm set. I rotated the cam cleat a second time and finished the third fastener, cleaned up the squeeze out and then retrieved the backing washers and nuts. to finish the install, I secured the machine screws from the underside each with a flat washer, a lock washer, and a nut.

That would be it until tomorrow; closed the shop and headed back to home project.

Total Hrs: 1.5