Samson Posts

[catalinajack]

I own a DeFever and have seen pictures of a few DeFevers with bars welded across the horns. Sure, bent horns have occured occasionally but, to me, this another of the highly unlikely "what if's" that frighten some owners into spending more time and money. I am risk averse but, in the case of DeFevers, I see this as a non-issue.

mine are similar to Luke's. The Samson post is through bolted to deck but directly over the bulkhead between forward cabin & chain locker.
Those "open horn" cleats used on most DeFevers are known to bend in a stiff blow, a few members have replaced them with custom reinforced cleats others had a small, SS rod welded between the inner aspects of the horns so they no longer fold inwards.

 

[Larry M]

Ian: Ours is through bolted. The base is 4.5” x 8” and is 7.5” tall. The vertical tube is 3” and the horizontal tubes are 1.2”, excluding the end caps.

 

[rslifkin]

Ian: Ours is through bolted. The base is 4.5” x 8” and is 7.5” tall. The vertical tube is 3” and the horizontal tubes are 1.2”, excluding the end caps.

That looks exactly like the post I'm installing.

 

[AKDoug]

Another way to do it

Mounting the windlass and the Sampson post through the same mounting plate, this one is Stainless and mounts the windlass above the compartment for the anchor line since the compartment is relatively small.

It also keeps the motor for the windlass bone dry

 

[FF]

The Sampson post should be strong enough to handle the total weight of the boat.

If surging with a non stretch rode like cable or chain the shock load can be more than the weight of the boat.

1/4 or 5/16 bolts are probably not going to do it.

 

[angus99]

The Sampson post should be strong enough to handle the total weight of the boat.

If surging with a non stretch rode like cable or chain the shock load can be more than the weight of the boat.

1/4 or 5/16 bolts are probably not going to do it.

Fred, I’m hoping the snubbers would mitigate some of the shock loads. For sure, I agree that the SP/bollard would have to be sized for the boat.

 

[Shrew]

Going back to my original post, in my case, the SP/bollard would have the eye splices of two snubbers looped over it.

If you do this you have a fixed length of snubber that is let out for all anchoring conditions.

I have 30+ foot snubbers on a bridle, on a calm day, in 9 feet of water, I don't want or need 25 feet of snubber line and chain hook dragging on the seabed.

When it's blowing 25kts, I don't want a 4 foot snubber either.

 

[angus99]

If you do this you have a fixed length of snubber that is let out for all anchoring conditions.

I have 30+ foot snubbers on a bridle, on a calm day, in 9 feet of water, I don't want or need 25 feet of snubber line and chain hook dragging on the seabed.

When it's blowing 25kts, I don't want a 4 foot snubber either.

Good question! I’m not planning to have more than one set of snubbers and I like the idea of loops on the ends to allow the lines to remain as low as possible on the bollard (vs. tying them off on the ears).

Mantus snubber bridles for my boat size are 22 to 26 ft per leg and are looped on the ends. I was planning on building mine to the larger spec. In very light conditions, I probably will not use snubbers. As the wind freshens, I could loop each leg around the bollard and then across the deck to the hawse cleat on the opposite side. That would eat up at least eight feet of each snubber leg (and it could be double that if I loop them back and forth).

In stronger winds, I’d let each leg out to full length and loop the bitter ends over the bollard, itself.

Also, our anchor roller is eight ft over the water’s surface, so a little longer snubber should be manageable.

 

[Flatswing]

On closer inspection, my backing plate is just forward of the bulkhead between forward cabin & chain locker see pic

 

[angus99]

On closer inspection, my backing plate is just forward of the bulkhead between forward cabin & chain locker see pic

Thanks. I measured today and mine will fit just aft of the bulkhead. Looks like a strong spot.

 

[Comodave]

When I am putting in backing plates, I like to butter the side to the boat with thickened epoxy. That way it makes full contact with the deck and if there is a high spot in the deck you won’t be bearing with all the force on that high spot.

 

[angus99]

When I am putting in backing plates, I like to butter the side to the boat with thickened epoxy. That way it makes full contact with the deck and if there is a high spot in the deck you won’t be bearing with all the force on that high spot.

Thanks.

 

[C lectric]

The buttering is a good idea. I have done that too.

However ask yourself if you think you will ever want/need to remove the backing plate. If so then use a piece of waxed paper between the plate and the epoxy or the plate will become a permanent part of the boat structure. I use the waxed paper in many applications.

 

[Peter B]

Now boatless, this may sound strange, but one of the things I miss most is anchoring, and the use of my Super Sarca anchor, and I was always particularly enamoured of my pulpit arrangement, because it was - to use the vernacular - built like a brick outhouse. The Samson Post always struck me as particularly well designed. It might not have gone down to the keelson, (as Simi observed), but it went down to the bulk-head of the floor of the anchor locker, and also, just as importantly, it was braced by the pulpit assembly as well, to provide maximum strength and resistance to forward-pulling forces. Clearly evident in the pic below. I think a similar arrangement strongly attached to the deck with large backing plate would come close.

Sorry, just turn head 90º - can't be bothered trying to rotate the beggars...

 

[BruceK]

Good old Sam! Peter, remember the signs on building facades "Bill Posters Will be Prosecuted", often followed by "Bill is innocent" in handwriting?

 

[healhustler]

Going back to my original post, in my case, the SP/bollard would have the eye splices of two snubbers looped over it. The splices would lie close to the deck and nothing would be hitched to the ears. The snubbers would pass through the hawse holes on both sides of the bow. As the wind picks up, the loading on the SP would be from opposing directions, similar to Eric’s last photo in post #7. I’m certainly no naval architect, but I should think all of this would serve to reduce leverage on the SP.

Larry, is yours for sale?

Yeah, I guess so, but at 7” tall, I’m not sure it’s big enough for your boat. Somewhere, I think Ibhave two larger units that might work.

 

[angus99]

Yeah, I guess so, but at 7” tall, I’m not sure it’s big enough for your boat. Somewhere, I think Ibhave two larger units that might work.

Thanks, Larry. PM sent.