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but the main use is for wakeboarding so i've beefed it up a bit.
My question is... I'm planning on using the same fitting position and technique as russellbaily3's design/frame (with the stainless angle section under the side rails taking the strain) - are there any structural points (ie wooden frames etc) down the sides of the boat, under the fibreglass, that I should be tapping into?
We wakeboard extensively with ours - no problems so far after two years of significant wakeboard use. The spots that the stainless angle are mounted to have nothing special about them - they are just reinforced with epoxy plugs at each spot. The specific locations were picked based on our goals for the arch position, not for structural reasons.
Don't discount the load that a radar puts on it bouncing around in the ocean. The arch moves about as much on a rough day in the ocean as it does from a wakeboarder cutting way outside the wake.
That's great to hear - thanks v.much for the info.
I think it's a great looking design - i don't know if you made it or spec'd it but whoever did clearly did a cracking job.
What diameter section did you use for the main posts? I've gone with 42mm which might be overkill. Did you use an off the shelf towing hook or did you have it made up? If you're in the US, which I'm guessing you are, you'll have better access to that type of thing than here in the UK.
Raymond Martin (Martin Marine Design) made all the parts on the arch. I told him what I wanted it to do and he figured out how big pieces needed to be. There is a narrative of what he did on a post he made on thehulltruth at the time.
I recall he mounted the tow point underneath the arch due to the radar - typically he'd mount it above.