INSTALLATION
MANUAL
Section 1: MECHANICAL INSTALLATION
1.6 Saddle Installation
Seakeeper recommends a slow curing, non-sagging structural adhesive for bonding the saddles
to the GRP hull structure. Such an adhesive is Plexus MA590 which is a two-part methacrylate
adhesive. 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 6 of
Seakeeper drawing no. 90226 for loads information and recommended adhesive
properties.
1.6.1 Preparation of Hull Structure
Refer to Seakeeper Drawing No. 90226, Seakeeper 9/7HD 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 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 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 106 in
2
(684
P
P
) for a total bonded surface area for all four saddles of 424 in
P
P
(2,736 cm
P
P
).
The hull structure supporting the Seakeeper should be installed so the Seakeeper is parallel to
the waterline in the transverse direction and within 2 degrees longitudinally. 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”
inches (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 90253 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
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
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