Re-bedding and trying to fix a leak!

The last couple of days has been spent removing hardware from around the cockpit. I knew one of the mounts for a stanchion was cracked. I am also hunting down and trying to fix a leak where the rain is leaking into the starboard quarter berth. I figured I would find some more problems after getting into this project.

Dirt and silicone.

Turns out that the last person decided to use silicon to bed the hardware.  For some reason used silicone around the inside, and not around the holes where the bolts went through! Also lots of dirt under the hardware. Also found that there was some old unused wholes that where filled with silicon. So I have lots of work to get this done correctly.

First step of course is to clean up this mess. So used a plastic putty knife to brush of the chunks of dirt and scrape off the silicone. Then used a degreaser and a scrub brush. After getting it as clean as I could. Dried it off then used the old acetone.

Getting out the drill I drilled out the silicone from the holes. Then scraped all the silicone I could with the drill bit. Then cleaned it up again with acetone.

I put duck tape on the underside of the holes. Mixed up some 5 minute epoxy. With a toothpick carefully filled up the hole with epoxy. Making sure that their was a little rounded bit raised from the fiberglass deck.

4 epoxy filled holes

Getting to some of the nuts on the underside was pretty hard. Luckily I was able to get the youngest to help out. Me using a ratchet underneath and him using the drill or a screwdriver with a bit was able to get everything taken off. A lot of the nuts and lock washers where rusted. So they where pretty hard to get off.

I found out that none of this stuff had any backing or support underneath! There was no backing plates! They didn't even put on fender washers! So I will have to drilling holes in some 1/4 inch stainless steel plate to strengthen everything.

I have used butyl tape in the past to re-bed the other hardware I have worked on. I have also used a 3M calk out of a tube. I really like the butyl tape so much better! That is what I am going to use to re-bed all of this stuff.

Luckily I have a farm supply right down the road from me. I was able to get all brand new stainless steel locking nuts and washers. Unfortunately they only have Phillips head bolts. Hopefully I will be able to get the longer ones I need tomorrow!