Q. What is the V-Lock made of? How well does it
tolerate the water, sun and temperature exposure typical of what my
boat sees?
A. The original V-Lock is made of marine grade aluminum. It holds
up very well in a typical boating environment. Like anything metal
on your boat it is recommended that salt water be rinsed off to
minimize oxidation. In February 2011 a version of the V-Lock was announced that is CNC machined from Starboard.
Q.
How does the V-Lock base attach to my boat?
A. The V-Lock base can be attached to the boat with
screws or be bolted through depending on your boat and the location
where you wish to mount them. For each base only 4 small holes are
required. It is recommended that the holes be filled with a little
silicone or other sealant of your choice and that you use stainless
steel screws or bolts. If you wish to attach the V-Lock to a railing
we have a rail mount kit for square rails found common on pontoon boats and we have working prototypes for round rails.
Q.
What are the dimensions of the V-Lock?
A. The V-Lock base is 4" across at that top, 3 1/2" high and 3/4" thick.
The surface of the insert to which you attach your application is 4" square. We will have larger ones but if you need a bigger mounting surface use a piece of starboard, wood, or metal as an adaper.
Q.
How does the insert stay in the V-Lock base? Will it
fall or bounce out with the movement of my boat?
A. For most applications the V-Lock design and gravity
will keep the insert in the base. In cases where an upward force
might apply the V-Lock includes a spring loaded pull-pin which latches the insert to the base.
Q.
What types of devices are best suited for mounting with the
V-Lock? (What devices is it not well suited for?)
A. Most any device or accessory that you would think of
can be mounted using the V-Lock system. Avoid using the V-Lock for
applications where an extreme force is necessary. Some examples
where the V-Lock should not be used are; tow point, freeing a stuck
anchor, lift point, etc.
Q.
Do I have to remove the accessory or can it stay mounted to
the V-Lock insert?
A. You can detach your accessory from the V-Lock
insert if you wish (and put something else on that insert) but the
idea is to be able to quickly attach, remove and replace various
devices so really you should have as many V-Lock inserts as
accessories to take full advantage of the quick
interchangeability that the system was designed for.
Q.
Can I take out the spring loaded pull pin?
A. Yes, gravity does most of the work and the pin is just extra security. You can simply unscrew it if you need to and this is necessary for some
applications that block access to the pull pin. A great example is the Life Raft where you could not get to the pull pin and the raft would end up sinking with the boat.
If you have an application that vibrates excessively and need to lock it down tight you can use a Cap Screw.
If you need one hand operation you can use a
or ball plunger. Thread is 3/8 - 16 and length should be 1 inch.
Q.
The V-Lock seems very solid but for recreational boating it
almost seems too solid, could you make it lighter or thinner?
A. The V-Lock is being released to the general
public primarily for recreational boating and it works well for this
purpose even if some might think it is �overkill� in strength and
durability. There are two reasons for this, the first being that the
last thing we want to hear from a customer is that a V-Lock failed
and they suffer some kind of loss as a result. The second reason is
that we have had interest from outside the marine industry in using
the V-Lock in light industrial applications as well as marine
related local, state and federal government agencies who are interested in
the V-Lock for law enforcement and military application. The State
Marine Patrol for the most part uses the same makes and models of
boats as the general public and because of the gear that they have
to have on board for any situation they might encounter, their space
and flexibility requirements are even more demanding.
Q.
Does my accessory or device have to be obtained from V-Lock
to use with the V-Lock system?
A. No, you can use anything you can mount to a
V-Lock insert. You can build your own as we did with several of our examples.
Most of the examples shown on the Applications
page of this site can be obtained from any marine store or
manufacturers web site.
We currently offer a few popular accessories in our store V-Locks are included.
I you have an accessory and need some advise on mounting it please email info@v-lock.com
and we will try our best to help you.
Q.
How many different kinds of inserts are available?
A. Currently there are two types of aluminum inserts. One flat and one bent at 90 degrees. There is also a flat starboard insert. If you need an insert that is a different size or bent at a particular angle please email info@v-lock.com.
