MS Pilot 34 - Deck Hardware Access

[aviator7836]

Hello All,

We are attempting to undertake a project to rebed all of our deck hardware but the yard who is working on our boat indicates that few if any of the nuts and backing plates are accessible because the hardware was mounted to the deck before being lowered onto the hull during production. That is to say that most of the deck hardware attachments are not accessible because they are covered on the interior by the liner.

Have any of you attempted to reseal your deck hardware and, if so, how did you go about it?

Thanks in advance for your input and experience!

Doug

 

[Comodave]

When we bought our current boat the PO had damaged the bow rail and broke 3 welds so I had to unbolt the 3 stanchion bases. What a PITA. First I had to exactly locate the bases on the inside so I would know where I had to make access. I took 2 large powerful rare earth magnets. I would tape one on the top of the deck next to the base. Then go inside and see where the second magnet found the one taped on the deck. Once I had them located then I could see what I had to do to get to the nuts. One was inside a cabinet in the head above the headliner. There I was able to feel the nuts and just cut a flap in the headliner. The other 2 were above the galley cabinets. I used a multi tool to cut out pieces of the cabinet tops to get to the nuts. It certainly wasn’t easy but it was doable. Fortunately all mine were inside cabinets so the damage isn’t visible unless you open the cabinet and look up. Even then it is difficult to see where I made the cuts. Formula had done a great job in sealing the deck penetrations. They countersunk the deck holes and used what looked like O rings on the bolts. Our boat is a 1998 and the deck fittings still don’t leak.

 

[tiltrider1]

If it’s just a liner then you use a 1 inch hole saw to drill through the liner. They make 1 inch plastic plugs to fill such holes when you are done.