Engine room wall thicknesses - 360 EC

I will be taking ownership of an 05 360 Fiesta Vee and will be installing a bunch of upgrades in the engine room myself. My worry is, especially with the transom and floor, is how deep screws can go before they become a danger to penetrating the outside hull. None of the stuff I’m screwing in is all that heavy - mostly N2K senders and cable hangers. I will also be attaching things to the other 3 walls, floor and for lighting, the ceiling (perhaps epoxy instead there?) Tips? Tricks? Warnings?
Dan of Steel
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee

Comments

  • LaReaLaRea Member Posts: 7,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2021
    Find the parts that have plywood glassed in on the inside!  On the plywood, you can run 3/4" screws at will.  

    On my '07 370, the hull is 3/4" solid glass.  Where there's no plywood, you can CAREFULLY pre-drill and sink a screw 1/4", maybe 3/8".  Beyond that, you run the risk of cracking the gelcoat on the outside. 

    Don't do what I did!  While attaching a 1/2" plywood mounting panel, I accidentally grabbed a 1" screw that had fallen into my bin of 3/4" screws.  NOT a nice surprise.  
  • LaReaLaRea Member Posts: 7,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2021
    I hope you'll share pix of your upgrades.  Maybe you saw my thread on the ER reno I did this year.  
  • LaReaLaRea Member Posts: 7,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The plywood is covered by a thin layer of fiberglass, maybe 1/16" or 1/8" thick.  If you drill a test hole with a 1/16" bit, you'll feel it suddenly get easier when the bit breaks through the glass into the plywood.  If you don't feel that change, it's probably solid glass.  
  • echandler1971echandler1971 Member Posts: 165 ✭✭
    Thanks LaRea! That's just the info I needed! My mini-reno won't pale in comparison to the engine room/surgical suite you created. I watched your project from afar and am awestruck. We close this week. I'll post a hello pic and whatnot when we officially have her. I have the electronics pre-bought and a lot of the cabling/routing already figured out, including starboard with electronics mounted on it already. Starting with ER lighting, security/monitor/tracker, gas vapor detector, NMEA2k (senders galore), then VHF/AIS upgrade.
    Dan of Steel
    '05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
  • LaReaLaRea Member Posts: 7,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Oooooh yeah - another gadget geek entering the forum!  I look forward to hearing the details.

    Good luck with closing!
  • echandler1971echandler1971 Member Posts: 165 ✭✭
    I'm more of a gadget geek because I'm new to powerboating (yes, this is a ridiculously-large boat for a first one) and I want as much monitoring as I can get to tell me when things are going south so I can address issues before they become serious - especially the engines. I also will be parking her in an area that has good and bad stuff going on, so security is something I feel I need to add to her.
    Also, being that I'm new to boating, have no fear. I will not take the helm until I've had plenty of hours with a licensed captain working with me on my boat. I've watched countless hours of videos on how to drive a twin-IO and all the tricks about docking. She has a bow thruster too, but hands on is a must and I don't have that experience yet.

    I've also learned about pretty much every mechanical piece on her. I can probably assemble a VaccuFlush Accumulator blindfolded having never touched one and I can plug a puncture in the hull to limp home on, but nothing matches actual hands-on experience and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. In the end, I've spent a good penny on her and I don't want to blow all of that by doing something stupid or cutting corners with preparedness or safety.
    Dan of Steel
    '05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
  • echandler1971echandler1971 Member Posts: 165 ✭✭
    Followed LaRea’s lead and added ER lighting. Used marine epoxy to hold them to ceiling due to risk of screwing through
    Dan of Steel
    '05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
  • LaReaLaRea Member Posts: 7,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great idea on the epoxy.  Did you use tape to hold it in place for the epoxy to cure?
  • echandler1971echandler1971 Member Posts: 165 ✭✭
    Straight epoxy and holding them to the ceiling for a long time. The lights weigh nothing.
    Dan of Steel
    '05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
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