Adding a Greenstick: How best?

[greg]

Ok, I've been kicking around adding a greenstick to my boat. I'm not commercial, so it's more just for the heck of it, but they are way kewl...

Anyway, I'm wondering how to add one. Do they have to to be braced to the hull or will a deck plate work? They are pretty large at the base, about 4", so it will need to be mounted pretty securely. Also, what about electrical bonding for lightening?

I know I have to use release clips for the lines. I'm more concerned with not having it rip off the boat and taking half my cabin with it.

I know they get mounted to DE's, so I'm hoping someone has done one.

Thanks

 

[F/V First Team]

When we installed one on a customers boat we built a sweet stainless steel hinged socket that was on the deck and a locking collar for the overhead, worked real slick. How the owner rigged it up I really do not know.
I will look for some photos of it

 

[F/V First Team]

Looking for clearer shots of the equipment

 

[Raider Ronnie]

Greenstick

Funny this topic comes up !
My bud dropped of his 40 ft stick to me last weekend that will be going on his 35 Duffy.
Instead of green he wants it a Whitestick so I'm painting it for him.
Going to fabricate mounts also.
Pretty much what First Team posted is what I had planned.

 

[Tunascapes]

My question is, is that pate that goes to the deck enough with just a backing plate or is it somehow tied into stringers or something under deck? Ive always wondered how people do the mounts for these.

 

[tunaorlater]

It should be fine with just a backing plate as long as the deck is in good shape.

 

[F/V First Team]

Oddly I do not have any photos of the base disassembled.

What we did was make a solid glass section of the deck (which was tri-cell panels for this build) and put a backing plate on the underside of the decking. On top there was a non-removable plate which through-bolted to the backing plate which was tapped and we backed that up with locknuts and fender washers. The hinge pin slides through and is held in place with a washer and a cotter pin. When the hinge is in its upright and working position it was fastened down with six socket-head machine screws which went into the bottom plate which was tapped, the way the hinge plate was made created enough of an interference fit so that we didn't need to use locktite or anything else to keep constant tension on those screws so they wouldn't back out.

As for the collar on top, we cut a notch in the overhead and fitted a collar to the opening. To install/remove the green stick the flange fastenings would be removed from the aft portion of the collar, allowing the cut-out to be removed. This leaves a channel in the overhead so that when the screws holding the collar together, flanges on top and bottom, are removed the green stick can be lowered/raised into position.

No brackets were required on the bulkhead, every fastener was through-bolted and had the appropriately sized backing plate so that when the green stick was in place, no force on Earth could move it.

 

[Tunascapes]

Great explanation. Thank you it was exactly what I was wondering.

 

[greg]

Looks like exactly the solution I was looking for. Did you buy the mounting hardware or custom fab it?

 

[F/V First Team]

Sure thing, glad I could help

 

[F/V First Team]

We had it custom fabricated along with most everything else on board, exception being the outriggers and the engine room intakes

Somewhere along the line "satin finish" became "mirror finish"

Owner loved it though

 

[CaptDave]

Very Nice

Travis,

Very nice details and appreciate it, I remember when that boat was in the shop. I think it was the last time I was inside with Donny

Dave

 

[greg]

One last question. Where did you find a supplier for the greenstick itself? All I've found is alltackle but suspect their prices are just a tad high.

Would a 34' be long enough or should I go with the 40? Again, this is only recreational, not comm.

 

[F/V First Team]

The green stick was owner-supplied, it was the 40' model. Came from Hawaii and as I recall the shipping was MORE than the stick itself (which came from Japan)

Pretty interesting rig, 40' 110 lbs give or take, about five inches on the base and I think an inch and a quarter at the tip, we rigged it together with shoulder bolts and barrel nuts for a smooth, sleek finish.

 

[Tower Todd]

You buy the sticks from Pacific Ocean Producers in Hawaii. They recently had a fire so I'm not sure what they have in stock / available.

Pacific Ocean Producers

http://www.pop-hawaii.com/

 

[F/V First Team]

Pacific Ocean Producers is the label on the green stick that we used, aside from that I'm not sure what to tell you

 

[greg]

I checked their pricing, and for the 34' model the price is the same as alltackle. The 40 is more expensive. Otherwise the specs look the same so I suspect Alltackle sources from pacific ocean.

 

[jim]

One thing to consider if you are actually going to use the stick is the higher the stick is mounted, the further back the lures run. I had my stick mounted exactly as first team had it mounted and the closest lure behind the boat interfered with my regular spreaders run out of the rod holders. If you mount the stick on top of the wheelhouse the closest lures will be further back and out of the way of your spread. Another place to buy the stick closer to home is Butch Midgetts out of Wanchese NC(Etheridge Fishing Supply)...Hes a great guy and will walk you through the other gear you will need and he caters to commercial guys so his prices are decent. Good luck. First time I used my stick we had double header Giants at the tip of the Hudson...definately works

 

[Raider Ronnie]

Oddly I do not have any photos of the base disassembled.

What we did was make a solid glass section of the deck (which was tri-cell panels for this build) and put a backing plate on the underside of the decking. On top there was a non-removable plate which through-bolted to the backing plate which was tapped and we backed that up with locknuts and fender washers. The hinge pin slides through and is held in place with a washer and a cotter pin. When the hinge is in its upright and working position it was fastened down with six socket-head machine screws which went into the bottom plate which was tapped, the way the hinge plate was made created enough of an interference fit so that we didn't need to use locktite or anything else to keep constant tension on those screws so they wouldn't back out.

As for the collar on top, we cut a notch in the overhead and fitted a collar to the opening. To install/remove the green stick the flange fastenings would be removed from the aft portion of the collar, allowing the cut-out to be removed. This leaves a channel in the overhead so that when the screws holding the collar together, flanges on top and bottom, are removed the green stick can be lowered/raised into position.

No brackets were required on the bulkhead, every fastener was through-bolted and had the appropriately sized backing plate so that when the green stick was in place, no force on Earth could move it.

Travis, a few questions.
You made the base hinged, why so ?
Ease of owner putting up or for when needed to be lowered (low clearance as in bridges) ?
The section you cut out in the roof overhang, how is that held in, attached to upper flange or to the pole itself ?

 

[F/V First Team]

The base was hinged exactly for the reasons you mentioned, putting it in/removing it and lowering if need be.

The overhang section was held in place with some bolts that held it to the aft side of the collar flange, we had aluminum flanges on the cut out so that it didn't sag down on the trailing edge.

The green stick was lapped at the machine shop to fit the base snugly, no different than seating a shaft to a coupling, with the collar we had some industrial rubber padding to compensate for the taper along the green stick and so that it didn't rattle around in the collar.