Anyone know how to remove hatch under anchor chute?

Marc Rainaldo

Marc Rainaldo

Active Member
Apr 18, 2019
260
Netherlands
Boat Info
Sea Ray 500 DA 1994
Engines
Detroit diesel 6v92
Hello all, bussy with fixing a soft spot around windlass. I want to remove a hatch Bottom side under the anchor chute.
There are 2 holes but no screws inside.
Any thought would be appreciate.

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JohnMindarie said:
Hi Marc
Did you ever find an answer to accessing below anchor chute. I have a similar problem on a 1993 SR440EB
Click to expand...

Hello John,

Unfortunately I dont have the excact answer for you beacuse i didnt continue looking for it. I do thought about it and the most logical way is to unscrew the rubrail. It should be the same as how the upperdeck is placed on the bottom. It should be with sealand and overall i think its a pain in the arse job hahaha.
Theirfore i skipped it.

The reason i had to be there is beacuse i had a soft spot around windlass.
Big soft spot repair | Club Sea Ray

When you plan to access it anyway, please let me know your progress. Maybe its a lot easier as i described.
 
Marc Rainaldo said:
Hello John,

Unfortunately I dont have the excact answer for you beacuse i didnt continue looking for it. I do thought about it and the most logical way is to unscrew the rubrail. It should be the same as how the upperdeck is placed on the bottom. It should be with sealand and overall i think its a pain in the arse job hahaha.
Theirfore i skipped it.

The reason i had to be there is beacuse i had a soft spot around windlass.
Big soft spot repair | Club Sea Ray

When you plan to access it anyway, please let me know your progress. Maybe its a lot easier as i described.
Click to expand...

Hi Marc
Thanks for your reply. I have spent hours today searching for an answer but with no success. I have sent a message to SeaRay USA asking for their help.
The boat is new to me and the anchor chute has been bent upwards by, I think, the chain catching on worn out roller shafts. It has pulled the bolts up by about 12mm in the middle. I want to remove the chute from the pulpit to straighten it and repair the fixing points. I'll have a look at your suggestion. Thanks again, John
 
JohnMindarie said:
Hi Marc
Thanks for your reply. I have spent hours today searching for an answer but with no success. I have sent a message to SeaRay USA asking for their help.
The boat is new to me and the anchor chute has been bent upwards by, I think, the chain catching on worn out roller shafts. It has pulled the bolts up by about 12mm in the middle. I want to remove the chute from the pulpit to straighten it and repair the fixing points. I'll have a look at your suggestion. Thanks again, John
Click to expand...

As @Marc Rainaldo found it's not a hatch but just a molded fiberglass section not unlike the hull itself.
Not really mean to be removable.

IF you really need to get in there and IF I were to attempt it I would:
1. cut the stainless steel strip about an inch aft of the first screw on the hull (Don't cut the rubber that should flex enough to pull down)
2. add another screw about an inch aft of that cut on the section staying on the hull
3. repeat on the other side
4. remove the pulpit rub rail piece, pull the rubber down (or up)
5. remove the screws under the rub rail
6. GENTLY find a way to cut or break the putty/caulk loose between the top and bottom sections.
the bottom piece should be tucked inside the top cap

Not an easy task, but doable
 
hughespat57 said:
As @Marc Rainaldo found it's not a hatch but just a molded fiberglass section not unlike the hull itself.
Not really mean to be removable.

IF you really need to get in there and IF I were to attempt it I would:
1. cut the stainless steel strip about an inch aft of the first screw on the hull (Don't cut the rubber that should flex enough to pull down)
2. add another screw about an inch aft of that cut on the section staying on the hull
3. repeat on the other side
4. remove the pulpit rub rail piece, pull the rubber down (or up)
5. remove the screws under the rub rail
6. GENTLY find a way to cut or break the putty/caulk loose between the top and bottom sections.
the bottom piece should be tucked inside the top cap

Not an easy task, but doable
Click to expand...

Please tell me that you DON'T work in the automotive field?
 
Thanks for your input. It doesn't sound like an easy job, just to access the nuts. But there seems no other way to remove the chute to repair it.
 
techmitch said:
Please tell me that you DON'T work in the automotive field?
Click to expand...
?
There is always more than one way to do something. But I wouldn't remove 25-50 feet of rub rail to get to just the pulpit.
Trying to get to the hull screws without bending the stainless, maybe, but I would rather have a joint then bend the strips.
Am I missing something?

No I don't work in the auto industry any longer.
I was a USCG Machinery Technician, a commercial Marine mechanic, an ASE Master HD Truck Technician, and currently a Senior Systems Engineer for IT
 
JohnMindarie said:
Thanks for your input. It doesn't sound like an easy job, just to access the nuts. But there seems no other way to remove the chute to repair it.
Click to expand...
There are other ways:
Leave the rub rail. Do exactly as what i did in my soft spot repair with one difference, you work from the bottom.
Big chance that you find some rotten wood too.

another way:
Try to take out the bolds as much as possible. Take of the head of the bold with a grinder when needed when they won’t go out completely. Take the chute out and repair it.
Take out the rest what’s left of the bold. Drill out when needed. Fill the holes with a filler and use special plugs to create new nuts (probably you ad the plugs when you apply the filler.
I hope you understand this ‘working way’.
I think I would go for this way to fix your problem. Pretty easy job.
 
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I have had a very quick reply from SeaRay and they say that removal of the bottom of the pulpit is as Marc suggested, by removing screws behind the rubbing strake in the gunwale and cutting out the polyurethane caulk, etc. Sounds rather extreme. I have asked them if cutting circular holes in the bottom board and fitting watertight inspection hatches may be an access solution. Once I can get in there the rest should be straight forward.
 
JohnMindarie said:
I have had a very quick reply from SeaRay and they say that removal of the bottom of the pulpit is as Marc suggested, by removing screws behind the rubbing strake in the gunwale and cutting out the polyurethane caulk, etc. Sounds rather extreme. I have asked them if cutting circular holes in the bottom board and fitting watertight inspection hatches may be an access solution. Once I can get in there the rest should be straight forward.
Click to expand...

That's as I described. And I really don't think its any worse then having to cut holes and then deal with the holes after.

But if all you need to get to is the bolts one or more round screw in deck plates might do they coma as small as 4"
It's not a watertight compartment the two holes at the aft edge are weep holes to prevent water build up.
https://www.westmarine.com/deck-plates
11743077.jpg
 
Thanks Hugh, I think I have enough info to give it a go now. I'll wait for SR's response as to whether cutting holes would comprise the strength but as an engineer I wouldn't think so.
 
hughespat57 said:
That's as I described. And I really don't think its any worse then having to cut holes and then deal with the holes after.

But if all you need to get to is the bolts one or more round screw in deck plates might do they coma as small as 4"
It's not a watertight compartment the two holes at the aft edge are weep holes to prevent water build up.
https://www.westmarine.com/deck-plates
11743077.jpg
Click to expand...
 
E512A9E3-9373-444C-A285-7E54AA59EBCC_1_201_a.jpeg


I would be very cautious about opening up the area below the pulpit and replacing the holes with"water tight" inspection plates. In a big following sea this area of the hull can be submerged for extended periods of time, driving a surprising amount of water into the inside of the boat. I once had a check valve on my Tiara jam closed while running for several hours in big seas (3-5 footers) while cruising at 26knots. I opened the anchor rope locker to see why the anchor was not deploying when trying drop the anchor and found the locker full of water all of the way to the top. The ball valve had been forced into the drain opening by the pressure of the sea water pressing the ball valve against the interior drain causing it to stick closed. When I pushed the ball out of the drain, the water quickly drained and the anchor rode went back into position. It had been floating in water which is why it would not deploy. Had I not planned to anchor out, the water would have been undiscovered by who knows how long and caused who knows what kind of issues.
 
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Although the top part of the pulpit is part of the deck molding, the bottom closure of the pulpit is separate from and forward of the hull itself. This shown on the drawing of the pulpit sent to me by SeaRay. I have asked SeaRay if inspection ports are a viable solution but have not had a reply as yet.
 
JohnMindarie said:
Although the top part of the pulpit is part of the deck molding, the bottom closure of the pulpit is separate from and forward of the hull itself. This shown on the drawing of the pulpit sent to me by SeaRay. I have asked SeaRay if inspection ports are a viable solution but have not had a reply as yet.
Click to expand...
Why you don’t do the simple way as I described before?
Don’t make inspection holes in the bottom (sb1 explained).
There are really good fixation plugs and you damage nothing else. Under normal circumstances there won’t be extreem force on the chute.

another way:
Try to take out the bolds as much as possible. Take of the head of the bold with a grinder when needed when they won’t go out completely. Take the chute out and repair it.
Take out the rest what’s left of the bold. Drill out when needed. Fill the holes with a filler and use special plugs to create new nuts (probably you ad the plugs when you apply the filler.
I hope you understand this ‘working way’.
I think I would go for this way to fix your problem. Pretty easy job.
 
Unfortunately the bolts do not come out at all, only turn. Unless the heads were clear, the grinder would only damage the chute. Getting to the otherside is the only solution in my opinion.
 
JohnMindarie said:
Unfortunately the bolts do not come out at all, only turn. Unless the heads were clear, the grinder would only damage the chute. Getting to the otherside is the only solution in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Use a new, good and sharp metal drill. You will get the heads off.
With a good drill this will go easy (Bolts are stainless steel and not that hard).

When the chute is out and the bolt threat are left, place a big ring and a nut on it. After placing the nut, grind the top of the threat in a way that you can place a wrench on it. Turn the nut while holding the threat with a wrench and the rest of the bolt will come out.
 
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