Check and Preparation of Hull Structure

Refer to Seakeeper Drawing No. 90545 – Seakeeper 16/18 Bond-In Installation Details. Important dimensional and load information is given in this drawing that will impact the design details of the structure that will receive the Seakeeper as well as selection of the adhesive to bond the Seakeeper into the hull.

The foundation “saddles” of the Seakeeper are designed to be bonded directly to the composite hull structure of the vessel to effectively distribute Seakeeper loads. A complete bond is required between the inside surface of the saddles and the hull structure. An estimate of adhesive volume required should be calculated for each installation based on gaps between saddles and structural members. There is some adhesive waste as a part of the process so a good rule of thumb is to purchase 50% more adhesive than estimated volume to ensure a complete bond. Depending on conditions and adhesive used, two workers may be required to apply the adhesive at the same time to finish the installation before the adhesive starts to cure. To aid in determining the quantity of adhesive required, the interior surface area (bonding surfaces) of each saddle is 164 in.² (1,058 cm²) for a total bonded surface area for all four saddles of 656 in.² (4,232 cm²).

The hull structure supporting the Seakeeper should be arranged so the Seakeeper is parallel to the water plane in the port-starboard and forward-aft directions. The four areas on top of the beams that the saddles will bond to need to be co-planar within .13 in. (3 mm) for consistent adhesive bond gap. In addition, the four areas on top of the saddles on which the feet of the Seakeeper foundation will rest need to be co-planar within .06 in. (1.5 mm) to minimize potential distortion of Seakeeper support frame when installed.

Note that any paint or gel-coat present in bond area should be removed so that adhesive will bond directly to laminate fibers and resin.

Seakeeper provides an installation fixture template (P/N 90282), that locates the saddles at the proper spacing both in the port-starboard and the forward-aft direction direction. See Figures 6 and 7 below. Once assembled with the provided saddle fittings, the fixture can be used to check clearances and alignment of the hull structure. The fixture will allow the builder / installer to lay-up and adjust the foundation dimensions to create a low-clearance fit between the Seakeeper foundation saddles and the hull structure. Shear strength of the adhesive will be maximized if the cured thickness between the vessel structure and the Seakeeper saddles is at the thinner end of the adhesive manufacturer’s recommended range. Therefore, the fixture should be used to confirm that the overall dimensions of the foundations are square and level and that the adhesive gap is within Seakeeper’s recommended range of .04 in. to .13 in. (1 to 3 mm).

Note: Do NOT use the installation fixture to establish Seakeeper envelope dimensions. Refer to Drawing No. 90545 – Seakeeper 16/18 Bond-In Installation Details, for envelope dimensions. A 3-D model of the Seakeeper is available on the Seakeeper website (www.seakeeper.com) to aid in designing the Seakeeper foundation and the space around the Seakeeper.