Leaky boat, need help/advise

[wileecoyote]

I must tell you, I never want to remove the bow rails ever again! In case I run into something, I guess I better go with the 4200. I have to remove all the nuts and make sure none of the core is damaged. I would like to do the horn as well, but can't figure the headliner. That may come next year, or when the weather is warmer.

 

[douglee25]

I would recommend Boatlife Life Seal, not Boatlife Life Calk. Life Seal combines silicone with polyurethane. You get the best of both worlds.

Doug

 

[rondds]

Mark
The part of the deck that the bowrail bolts go through are probably not cored. Mine werent - I can tell you this b/c I had to drill 12 new holes b/c the 2 of 3 holes on the new deckplates I placed didnt match up with the old deckplates. I replaced 6 deckplates b/c the welds broke at the deckplate/rail junction. And what I drilled through was solid fiberglass.

 

[wileecoyote]

I don't have the high dollar flybridge either!!:smt043:smt101:wow:
Seriously, I will see when I take it off, if it is solid, that would be excellent! That means it was built like it should be. I'll let you all know when I find out. By the way Ron, got my brass parts to make my flush kit. All I have to do is go down and put it on. :smt038

 

[rondds]

Mark
Do your bowrail deckplates sit FLAT on the deck or are they angled? and are they welded to the deckplate. If it's welded, you have the same stupid design as I do and it's destined to fail eventually. They tried to get cute and spot/tack weld from underneath, rather than run a bead of weld all around (like they did at every other joint). If you DO have this setup, carefully evaluate each one while you have access to the nuts and backing plate. If they look weak, break off the plate and replace it with one of these babies.

6 out of my 14 have failed and I've replaced all of those. I've got another that probably won't make it through the winter. Remember, you do NOT want to have to go back to the underside of these things once you button back all the collateral damage.

 

[wileecoyote]

Mark
Do your bowrail deckplates sit FLAT on the deck or are they angled? and are they welded to the deckplate. If it's welded, you have the same stupid design as I do and it's destined to fail eventually. They tried to get cute and spot/tack weld from underneath, rather than run a bead of weld all around (like they did at every other joint). If you DO have this setup, carefully evaluate each one while you have access to the nuts and backing plate. If they look weak, break off the plate and replace it with one of these babies.

6 out of my 14 have failed and I've replaced all of those. I've got another that probably won't make it through the winter. Remember, you do NOT want to have to go back to the underside of these things once you button back all the collateral damage.

Heres what mine look like
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/3021302812_5a9bc3b238_b.jpg

They are probably the same thing. If they are welded, did you cut them off and hold them in the new plate with set screw? Not sure I really understand how you change over.

 

[rondds]

Yours look like mine but your weld looks more like a bead not a tack. You may be OK. My stanchions pulled off the plate but the plate remained bolted to the deck. I took the plate off, tugged UP on the horizontal part of the rail and slipped the new fitting on, marked the two new holes (new holes had to be drilled in the aluminum backing plate as well) and marine-tex'd the two old holes closed. Drilled the new holes, gobbed on the silicone, slipped the fitting back on and bolted it in place with flat washers and nylocs. the stanchion is held into the fitting by two hex set screws. I think it's sturdier now b/c it sort of "boots" the stanchion and handles the leverage forces better. Sorry, dont have any pix and it's all buried under the fisher cover at this point.

 

[wileecoyote]

Yours look like mine but your weld looks more like a bead not a tack. You may be OK. My stanchions pulled off the plate but the plate remained bolted to the deck. I took the plate off, tugged UP on the horizontal part of the rail and slipped the new fitting on, marked the two new holes (new holes had to be drilled in the aluminum backing plate as well) and marine-tex'd the two old holes closed. Drilled the new holes, gobbed on the silicone, slipped the fitting back on and bolted it in place with flat washers and nylocs. the stanchion is held into the fitting by two hex set screws. I think it's sturdier now b/c it sort of "boots" the stanchion and handles the leverage forces better. Sorry, dont have any pix and it's all buried under the fisher cover at this point.

I'll have to take a closer look. I never looked that hard at it, but now would be the best time to take care of it. I think if they broke off after I got everything back together, I would just rip it off and use it as a clothesline, or something useful!