INSTALLATION
MANUAL
Product: Document #: Rev: Page:
SEAKEEPER 6 90402 1 12 of 12
Section 1: MECHANICAL INSTALLATION
1.6 Saddle Installation
Seakeeper recommends Plexus MA590 adhesive for bonding the saddles to the GRP hull
structure. Plexus MA590 is a two-part methacrylate structural adhesive that has characteristics
conducive to this type of installation. Details of the bonding procedure in this manual will involve
the Plexus MA590 product, but that should not exclude other suitable adhesives the installer
chooses to use. See Sheet 5 of Seakeeper drawing no. 90399 for loads information and
recommended adhesive properties.
1.6.1 Initial Check and Preparation of Hull Structure
Refer to Seakeeper Drawing No. 90399, Seakeeper 6 Installation Details – Bond In Method.
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 gyroscopic loads. A complete bond is
required between the inside surface of the saddles and the hull structure. Seakeeper
recommends having a minimum of 7 cartridges (225mL), 1 bottle Plexus PC-120
Primer/Conditioner, and 2 manual adhesive guns on hand for installation. Two workers should
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 58.2 in
2
(375 cm
2
) for a total bonded surface area for all four saddles
of 232.5 in
2
(1500 cm
2
).
The hull structure supporting the Seakeeper should be installed so the Seakeeper is parallel to
the waterline. The four areas on top of the beams that the saddles will bond to need to be
co-planar within .13” inches (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” (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 90392 that locates the saddles at the
proper spacing both in the fore-aft direction and the port-starboard direction. See Figures 6, 7 &
8 below. Once assembled with the provided saddle fittings, the fixture can be used to check saddle
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 Seakeeper saddles is at the thinner end of the
adhesive manufacturer’s recommended range. Therefore, the fixture should be used to confirm
To Next Page
Loading...
