Hardware bedding methods

[Ryan]

Do the majority of you use the method described by Don Casey to re-bed hardware where you only slightly tighten the hardware until you get sealant squeeze out and then let the sealant fully cure? Does anyone subscribe to tightening the fasteners fully and leaving it be?

On the matter of squeeze out cleanup, what is the easiest method? It seems that if you only tighten the hardware until you get squeeze out, then you'd be better served by using a razor to cut the excess off after it cured? Or is the easiest method just to scrape away the excess and then cleanup with solvent while the sealant is still green? I intend to mask off the surrounding areas regardless of methods, but experience with the best method would be great to hear.

[Jason K]

Does anyone subscribe to tightening the fasteners fully and leaving it be?

I do. Otherwise you run the risk of breaking the bond between the sealant and the fastener. If you feel you have to tighten it all the way down after the sealant has cured, be sure to hold the fastener in place with a screwdriver and tighten just from the nut.

On the matter of squeeze out cleanup, what is the easiest method?

Don't try to minimize your cleanup job by being miserly with the sealant. Use plenty of it. If it hasn't squeezed out completely around the hardware, then you haven't used enough sealant. Wait a day and the excess will come right off, often in one piece.

[Hirilondë]

Don't try to minimize your cleanup job by being miserly with the sealant. Use plenty of it. If it hasn't squeezed out completely around the hardware, then you haven't used enough sealant.

This point should be taken as gospel. I have read numerous times in forums that a lot of time and mess can be saved by being frugal with the goo. If you don't clean up at least half the stuff you spread on the hardware and mating surface you skimped too much. I agree with Jason on not doing additional screw tightening after as well, and for the same reason.

Clean up is a matter of choice. Neither method should compromise the job. I definitely use solvent for fixed ports of polycarbonate to avoid scratching them trying to remove the solid ooze out.

[Tim]

Do the majority of you use the method described by Don Casey to re-bed hardware where you only slightly tighten the hardware until you get sealant squeeze out and then let the sealant fully cure?

I think this is a bad idea (or at least a less-good idea), just as others have stated. All it takes is a minute accidental turn of the screw during this later tightening phase to compromise the critical seal at the fastener. Plus, if you have a thing of rubbery sealant between the hardware and the deck, it won't be possible to tighten it securely to the deck, which can allow movement that can ruin the seal even faster--not to mention the item just not feeling secure.

Does anyone subscribe to tightening the fasteners fully and leaving it be?

You betcha. Here's what I'd do for any fastener; this assumes that steps to isolate any core material have already been taken.

1. Drill hole just undersized to allow for use of a tap to thread the inside of the hole. Threaded holes not only hold the fastener more securely, but they make installation much easier--particularly alone.

2. Mill a countersink at the top of the hole. This creates a nice pocket for additional sealant to collect right where it's needed most--around each individual fastener. It takes 2 seconds with a countersink bit in your drill. I'll often have three drills going for installing hardware: one for drilling the pilot hole, a second containing the appropriate tap bit, and the third with the countersink.

3. Mask over the area, temporarily install the hardware, and draw the outline on the tape; remove the center portion of the tape as needed.

4. Gob on the sealant, being very generous and ensuring that plenty ends up around all of the fastener holes. There's no such thing as too much sealant. It may seem wasteful, but one doesn't want leaks.

5. Install the hardware and tighten the fasteners securely from the top; the tapped holes will allow the fasteners to pull the piece right down nicely.

6. At your leisure, go below and add backing plates, washers and nuts as required. You can tighten these from below without needing to hold the screw from above.

7. Either leave the sealant to cure for a day or two before peeling away the cured excess (large amounts of squeeze out can take a while to fully cure inside), or clean it up using solvent. Either will work; one is far messier than the other. I have done both ways; I'm not sure which I prefer. Often, it depends on the situation. Sometimes, gobs of partially cured sealant can get in the way of other projects or something, and it's better to just get rid of it. Other times, leaving the beads for a day or more is no problem.

Using masking tape keeps the surrounding deck pretty clean either way. Often, I will use a squeegee or something to remove the bulk of excess sealant, peel away the tape, and then use solvent to clean up the minimal remains. This way, the job is just done.

[CharlieJ]

We use pretty much the same method Tim does, although I've never tapped the holes- I always have someone to work on the other side *grin*

I suspect that Casey's is something that applies to someone using Sillicone,, because it really doesn't adhere- instead it forms a gasket. So his technique would be good there - I never use silicones aboard if I can at all help it.

A very good solvent for the 3M products- 4200, 5200 , etc, is plain old rubbing alcohol. Denatured will work also. What we do is get a roll of toilet paper- the cheap kind. Then peel off one or two squares, dampen ( DAMPEN) with alcohol and wipe the fitting ONCE. Then throw that piece away. Get another one or two squares and do it again as needed. This way you won't be tempted to make "one more wipe" and spread the stuff all over from that blob on the paper you "didn't see"

Laura recently resealed all the deck rivets ( over 300 of them) on a Condor 40 trimaran and cleaned all the residue this way. We did tape it off-we used a forstner bit just larger than the rivet holes and bored holes through a partially used roll of packing tape.Then cut the tape into squares as we were using it, and stuck one of those over each rivet hole. Took several days all together, but worked very well.

[BALANCE]

Quick question about installing my stern pulpit on a wood boomkin. Would all the steps mentioned above apply without exception?

As for sealant, I would use black boatlife?

I will be permanently removing the main sheet hardware from the boomkin. What would be best to fill those holes?

It will be mid 30's here tomorrow, I don't see anything on the boatlife talking about an appropriate temperature so I am assuming the temperature does not matter.

Do I hear an Amen?

[David]

I don't subscribe to most of what Don Casey says and certainly not his method of bedding deck fittings. I think you will break the bond of the caulk to the fastener if you do.

[BALANCE]

Agreed, I was referring to the steps that Tim laid out.

[Maine Sail]

I concur with the sentiments against using the Don Casey method. I honestly feel this method is partly to blame for much of the wet decks we see on boats today.

One thing I have not heard mentioned is the fact that having a gasket between a deck and a fitting, like a stanchion, will allow some movement. Sealants are flexible and anything thick enough to create a Don Casey "gasket" is thick enough to allow unwanted movement which will likely result in a premature leak. So even if you don't twist the bolt you can still have a leak if the fitting has more movement than it should.

Remember most deck hardware is mechanically fastened so fittings and such should be tight to the deck so no movement can occur. I also disagree with gluing mechanically fastened hard ware to a deck. All you need is to slightly countersink or bevel the edges of the hole and use a flexible sealant. I use butyl tape which has very, very low adhesion but enough to stick to the hardware and deck, flex and not allow a leak. Polysulfide is another favorite when butyl just is not appropriate and then Sika 291..

So why on earth do folks like Tim, myself and others countersink or chamfer the deck side of the skins?

#1 it does a lot to prevent gelcoat crazing. By feathering the edge of the gelcoat, through the use of a countersink bit, you are less likely to start a crack or craze mark in the gelcoat.

#2 By creating a bevel or countersunk recess in the surface of the deck the marine sealant or butyl tape has a cavity to fill. Without a bevel the hardware would compress the sealant to about 1/64th of an inch thick after the fasteners are tightened. Marine sealants do have some flexibility but not as much as you would guess when squished to a 64th of an inch.

Let's say you have a marine sealant that has a rating of 400% elongation before break on a 1/64" thick joint. Simple math shows you that 400% of 1/64" is only 1/16" of total allowable joint movement before a joint failure or leak starts. In the case of a stanchion base 1/16" is not much allowable movement before failure. While they should not move at all some stamped bases flex between bolt holes when pressure is applied to the stanchion. This can lead to failures of a very thin layer of sealant and water eventually makes its way to the bolt holes.

By countersinking around the bolt holes you increase the maximum thickness of the sealant, at the bevel, to roughly a 3/32" depth at it's deepest point. Using the same math as above 3/32" X 400% gives you a total joint movement before failure of 3/8".

If a mechanically fastened joint is moving 3/8" you have more problems than just a deck leak! So roughly 1/16" allowable movement before failure at 400% without countersinking or 3/8" allowable movement at 400% before failure with countersinking. Even a small bevel will drastically increase max allowable movement before failure. Countersinking to a mere 1/16" depth will give you 1/4" total movement around the bolt before failure. You don't need a deep bevel to make a large difference between a failure and a seal. By doing this you have created a Don Casey type "gasket" but only around the bolt shank where it really matters and the deck fitting can be tightened up 100% tight so it drastically reduces the chances of movement.

#3 Countersinking is a no brainer and has many many benefits. For instance, you can install the fitting and tighten it down NOW with no waiting and you can seal deck hardware alone.

Think about the Don Casey method for a moment? If the sealant cures, to form a "gasket", and you then move the bolt while tightening it down on the "second step".... you lose! If you create a gasket too thick, and then can't get the mechanically fastened hardware tight enough against the deck because of compression resistance, the hardware will move, and also fail, so again.... you lose! Sorry, I mean no disrespect to Mr. Casey, and he writes some very good stuff, but this method is perhaps some of the worst advice I've ever read in any sailing/boating related book. I have witnessed far too many cases of core rot due to DIY "two step" bedding procedures than I would have liked to..

For years I have been trying to describe, as have others, in words, how to "pot" or fill deck hardware penetrations with thickened epoxy to seal the decks core from further moisture damage.

I have also been trying to describe why a slight bevel to each hole that penetrates the deck is a good idea. Sometimes folks understand it via words, and sometimes they don't.

I had this article on my mind for years and finally over this winter had the chance to make it all happen with some late nights in the barn.

I hope this helps make some sense of something that really isn't all that difficult to tackle just difficult to describe..


Click this to read it:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/sealing_the_deck


And some of the photos from the article;

[Robert The Gray]

those are bitchin' awesome cross sections with labels!!

[Rachel]

One other note (comparing to Tim's instructions) is that I don't think I would tap the wood for the fasteners.

Some people advocate making epoxy annuli for fastening into wood (like you do when going through a fiberglass core). I'm not so sure it's necessary assuming you're bedding properly, and I kind of like the idea of leaving the wood... wood. Worst case scenario if you get a little rot around the fasteners someday (and I'm not saying you would), then you could overdrill and fill.

I'm also not sure I would do the chamfering of the hole at the top; however, I'm not a wood expert, so perhaps others will chime in. I'd like to know what they think.

I agree that wood bungs would be nice for filling in the holes where you are removing the main sheet hardware. You could use epoxy or the like to fill them, but the bungs will be nicer.

Rachel

[Tim]

Installing hardware into wood that does not, and cannot, penetrate into the boat and leak doesn't necessarily require--or even want--all the steps one takes when fastening to a deck or hull, as laid out above. Many of those steps outlined above are all about preventing leaks from ever penetrating exposed deck core. That's not an issue in this case.

In this case, in the boomkin shown I would just drill holes and bolt in the hardware with sealant or bedding compound beneath. You could tap the holes if you want, or not.

If any of the boltholes are in areas that could leak into the boat, then I'd seal it as if it were a fiberglass deck, taking all appropriate steps.

Don't apply sealant if the temperatures are going to dip below freezing during the cure cycle (what are the nighttime temps for the next week or two?). Polysulfide (particularly Boat Life Life Calk) can take many days to set up, particularly in low humidity conditions like things tend to be in the NE during the winter. You don't want it to freeze. Don't push it.

[David]

One other note (comparing to Tim's instructions) is that I don't think I would tap the wood for the fasteners.

Some people advocate making epoxy annuli for fastening into wood (like you do when going through a fiberglass core). I'm not so sure it's necessary assuming you're bedding properly, and I kind of like the idea of leaving the wood... wood. Worst case scenario if you get a little rot around the fasteners someday (and I'm not saying you would), then you could overdrill and fill.

I'm also not sure I would do the chamfering of the hole at the top; however, I'm not a wood expert, so perhaps others will chime in. I'd like to know what they think.

I agree that wood bungs would be nice for filling in the holes where you are removing the main sheet hardware. You could use epoxy or the like to fill them, but the bungs will be nicer.

Rachel

Here's my take on that. I think it depends on the wood and on the individual situation. It's an easy step to screw a screw into a freshly drilled hole to cut the threads, back it out, spray it with Pam, dip it in unthickened epoxy and screw it home. The screw is sealed permanently, the wood threads are sealed permanently, yet it can be removed in the future. IF there is a finish on the wood, then I think just treating the "wood as wood" as you you put it Rachel will increase the possibility of geting water under the finish at the entry point of the screw. Eliminating the possibility of the finish lifting at those entry points--to me--just makes logical sense. If it is sealed with epoxy, either by overboring and redrilling, or by simply coating the threaded hole, you eliminate that possible entry point and lessen the chance of your finish lifting.

I don't know about anyone else, but a "little rot around the the fasteners someday" is not something I want to expect, plan for, or be resigned to. It's easier for me to eliminate that possibility up front.

Of course, the other aspect of fasteners into wood is that epoxy makes the attachment infinitely stronger and permanent.

David

[BALANCE]

Those were the sane words I was looking for. Last night a friend called, has some time off and offered to help me install the pulpit today and I'm grabbing the opportunity. Money is so tight and he is a professional welder and will have the tools to customize the lengths of stainless rod that connect the pulpit to the boom gallows.

I feel under the gun to get it on so that I can really see what I'm working with for the propane installation so I will just attach it and bed it down once the weather has improved.

Once again, this place is an invaluable resource. Many thanks.

Nanette

[Al]

I'm going to try a method I've read about but never used: butyl tape. It is sticky as heck, basically never dries out and you can tighten the bolts just as soon as you install them. I'll let you know in a year or so if they leak.

[Figment]

In order for butyl to hold its shape as a tape it has a fibrous substance mixed into the sealant. That same substance prevents the tape from compressing easily, until one damn hot august day with things go all wiggly on you.

Butyl is great stuff, but I don't bother with the tape version (anymore).

[Al]

I'm not concerned about it holding its shape as a tape. I plan to simply attach it to, for example, the bottom of a stanchion base and under the heads of the bolts that go through it. I see it as a more convenient and cleaner way to apply caulking. I'm told that Sabre uses it for this purpose.

[Hirilondë]

I see it as a more convenient and cleaner way to apply caulking. I'm told that Sabre uses it for this purpose.

Sabre had what I consider the most over-engineered dead light installation I have ever seen. I don't see the use of butyl and silicone together as making any sense or being more convenient or cleaner than anything. And I have had to address leaks on very new boats, so they can't even claim it is a better installation if you ask me. Cleaning Sikaflex 291 LOT is very easy. Lifecaulk is almost as easy. And for bedding to wood nothing is easier than Dolfinite. Sometimes simple really is more than fine. That's how I see it anyway.

[Al]

I plan to follow the approach outlined by Maine Sail here: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/rebedding_hardware

[BALANCE]

The pulpit is on! More or less. As usual, it is never all that straight forward. Westsailors have this resource out of CA. A gentleman who was the plant manager when they went out of business started his own business servicing WS'ers with parts and fabrications, advice, surveys etc. One of his 'offerings' is a stern pulpit. You just order one, no measurements are wanted. So, needless to say, it was not a perfect fit. We discovered that my boomkin was not symetrical. They were particularly unhappy with how the connecting rods provided did not travel a straight line to the boom gallows - above and beyond the difficulty of getting the feet of the pulpit lined up nice and centered on the boomkin -was a huge challenge.

But it's on there, will do the bedding when the weather improves. All in all, a great day and just so nice to be on the boat. Got the cover off too so now there are no excuses for other jobs on the list.



Cutting the connecting tubes:



Depiction of how the tube has to travel:



The end result:



Notice the shine of the stainless on the right hand side of this picture? This man, Dave, is my friend's old partner, now retired. My friend is a proffessional union welder for nuclear power plants and Dave was the 'turbine' guy. Together, they are quite the pair. Dave's heart is bigger than most and that picture shows it, the glow is perfectly placed right in front of his heart.

[David]

That's a beautiful addition to your boat.

[Rachel]

That looks great! I bet you're going to love how that gives you the feel of more "real estate" back there. Yay for competent, big-hearted friends :)

David: I'm sorry, I missed your reply earlier. I didn't mean to sound so casual about "a little rot" in wood. If I thought something was going to rot before I had it apart again for re-bedding, I wouldn't be off-handed about it. I guess what I meant to say is that if you bed it properly, and then re-bed it when it's time, I don't think you have to get epoxy into the mix.

I just meant that if something does go awry, and there is ever a tiny bit of rot that starts (or just the discolored look of wet wood), well, then wood is something you can work with. You could then overdrill and make an epoxy annulus and be done with that localized problem, but perhaps without epoxifying all your wood/fastener connections.

To each their own (and I have nothing against epoxy - I use it all the time). I just wanted to counter the modern notion that wood cannot survive without it.

Rachel

[Maine Sail]

I'm going to try a method I've read about but never used: butyl tape. It is sticky as heck, basically never dries out and you can tighten the bolts just as soon as you install them. I'll let you know in a year or so if they leak.

My boat was bedded 30 years ago with Tremco Tape at the CS factory. As of today nearly 80% of her original Tremco Tape from the factory remains un-rebedded and dry.

The stuff is great and never, well at lest not in 30 years, hardens. It's ultimately far more flexible than the polysulfides or polyurethanes too.

This 30 year old butyl was still totally gooey and flexible. I can't say the same for the gray neoprene foam gasket Beckson used to supply for the trim rings...


This cleat was also 30 years old and still bone dry.


Bone dry core after 30 years and the factory did not even chamfer the holes back then..


P.S. You can also buy butyl in caulking tubes. Mineral Spirits cleans it up very well...

[Rachel]

Just curious, Maine Sail: Do you know they used the tape and not the caulking in tubes? I ask because the tape on my 35-year-old camper, while not hard-hard, is not that gooey still.

(They may have used non-butyl putty tape on my camper; but I'm just wondering if the butyl tape stays gooey as long as the butyl caulk.)

Rachel

[Maine Sail]

Just curious, Maine Sail: Do you know they used the tape and not the caulking in tubes? I ask because the tape on my 35-year-old camper, while not hard-hard, is not that gooey still.

(They may have used non-butyl putty tape on my camper; but I'm just wondering if the butyl tape stays gooey as long as the butyl caulk.)

Rachel

I know the original rigger for CS, Wilson Yates, and he has confirmed that it was Tremco Tape. On a couple areas of the hull deck joint there are some over hangs of the tape and it certainly does appear to be tape not the caulk. I know they used both but according to guys who worked at the factory & they claim they used the tape for 80-90% of it. It was a thin flat, wide, gray tape. I have bedded many fitting with butyl and also NFM port lights and never had a problem with in not compressing so you had solid contact between the deck and the hardware.

I of course would not advise using it at 30F but at 70 it squishes ou with no problem..

On some campers I know they sometimes use a butyl/foam tape product that can dry out. I have yet to see real butyl tape dry out. I buy my butyl from a camper distributor who has the butyl/foam tape and the regular butyl tape..

[David]

That is the same stuff used in the hull to deck joint in the Bristol. It is still sticky and flexible after all these years.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the follow up. The stuff on my camper is definitely all putty (no foam), and it is still soft, just not "pizza cheese" gooey. It may be the non-butyl putty tape (but I will be using the butyl tape to rebed the windows).

Rachel

[Shark]

Butyl tape has its uses. The hull-deck joint on my Shark24 is bedded with grey butyl material and is still flexible after 23 years.

A few years agon, I rebedded my leaking aluminum framed foredeck hatch with butyl tape. It took a long time to compress the material using the many mounting screws and the squeezed out material was messy to deal with but the hatch has never leaked since!

I tried using it to re-seal a leaking plexiglass port light but was unable to exert enough pressure and compress the material properly using only the small mounting screws. The window leaked again and I am going to re-bed again this spring using some other sealant.

[Al]

Well, I used butyl tape today for the first time and it was so darn easy to use that I'm sure there's something wrong with it. I mounted a new rope clutch (why is it a rope clutch if there are only sheets and lines on a boat?) today on the coach top. First I drilled the appropriate sized holes for the fasteners, then I enlarged the tops of the hole a bit so that there was a nice reservoir for the butyl. (I plead guilty; I did not fill with epoxy and redrill.) Then I packed some of the butyl into the holes, placed a few pieces under the rope clutch at appropriate places and put some under the screw heads. There was some squeeze out when all was snugged down, but it cleaned up quite easily with a knife. It was so easy that I didn't even mind when I realized that I had installed the darn thing backwards (handle pointing aft instead of forward) and had to take it apart and reinstall it properly. Frankly, I can't imagine the mess that would have made with traditional caulking. As I said, so easy that surely there is something wirng with this approach.

[Rachel]

Lyman,

I have not yet used the caulking-tube version of butyl, but I have a feeling that a situation like yours might be where it shines compared to the tape.

Rachel

[Shark]

Rachel,

I tried butyl caulking from a tube from the Home Despot and it too didn't work too well. It was more messy to work with than the tape but still didn't seal well, i.e. it leaked again. Argh!

This spring will be try number 3. I need a sealant that's thin enough to flow easily yet has some adhesive properties but not too strong as I may need to replace the plexiglass window some day. Ideas?

[Maine Sail]

This spring will be try number 3. I need a sealant that's thin enough to flow easily yet has some adhesive properties but not too strong as I may need to replace the plexiglass window some day. Ideas?

If you are sealing acrylic or plexi I would highly recommend Dow 795 structural silicone. I know, I know I hate silly cone as much as everyone else and it's basically banned on my boat except for acrylic or Lexan. For plexi, acrylic or lexan it is really a good product. PU's & PS products can react with the plastic and prematurely leech the plasticizers out of it. Most any deck hatch you buy from Bomar, Lemar etc. will be bedded with a structural silicone product.

Don't confuse a product like Dow 795 with regular marine silicone. This stuff is tenacious and flexible!


Let the beatings begin.. I'm ducking!

[Rachel]

While we're on the topic, I read that butyl will harm acrylic (and polycarbonate might have been mentioned too). The fellow who wrote it was not a pro, but said he had "industry contacts" who had told him. Any truth to that? I tried to search it on the Internet but the terms are so general that I didn't get too far.

Those of you who have bedded the large Triton ports with butyl have had plastic lights, right (?) Or did you have glass?

Rachel

[Hirilondë]

Don't confuse a product like Dow 795 with regular marine silicone. This stuff is tenacious and flexible!

Let the beatings begin.. I'm ducking!

The whole salers of polycarbonates like Select Plastics and most manufacturers including Markalon (a Bayer product) recommend that very brand of silicone as the best adhesive bedding for the material. If you can keep from contaminating anything in the process it would be a good choice. It is the only recommended adhesive bedding of some manufacturers.

[bcooke]

Those of you who have bedded the large Triton ports with butyl have had plastic lights, right (?) Or did you have glass?

Every Triton I know of that has replaced their deadlights have used lexan and the originals are a plastic of some sort. Several have used Butyl with good success.

I have new Lexan and I used Butyl.

[Rachel]

Thanks for the response, Britton. I thought most of the large Triton lights were plastic, and I knew several of you had used butyl with good success. I plan to use it myself when I get the chance.

Rachel

[MikeD]

...I read that butyl will harm acrylic (and polycarbonate might have been mentioned too)...

??? Ulp! My Ariel has new acrylic deadlights bedded in butyl - going on three years, so far so good.

I was steered towards acrylic by the plastics guy who made them. He said acrylic is more scratch resistant than polycarbonate (Lexan), doesn't yellow over time, and was cheaper. Though, at about $50 per, it sure didn't seem like it.

[Rachel]

Mike,

I didn't intend to make anyone "Ulp!" Sorry. In fact, I normally wouldn't have given that particular person's comments all that much credit, except that he mentioned the "industry contact" (or however he phrased it). I thought "Bah, I know that's wrong and butyl is fine with plastic."

Then ran off to Google because one shouldn't assume... :D

But the search words I could think of were all too normal/common to turn up anything conclusive, so I thought I'd run it by the group here. But I wasn't trying to ruin anyone's sleep - sorry about that.

Rachel

[Al]

Mike:

According to a leading maker of butyl tape, you have nothing to worry about:

http://www.tremcosealants.com/fileshare ... tapeai.pdf

[bcooke]

He said acrylic is more scratch resistant than polycarbonate (Lexan), doesn't yellow over time, and was cheaper.

I don't know about cheaper but the other two are true. I only went with Lexan for the impact resistance. Lexan is really easy to cut out and not terribly expensive to my way of thinking so I just plan on replacing it more often. I am clumsy with tools so impact resistance is a good thing on my boat.

[BALANCE]

Rats, I've got rot. It's about 2.5 - 3' square on one side of the boomkin. I forgot to take a picture. It does not go through to the bottom but close, and of course, it's right where one of the 'feet' for the pulpit will have to go.

Do I need to start from scratch? (new boomkin?)

[Capn_Tom]

While you can certainly use a penetrating epoxy to solidify the area this won't replenish the strenght of the wood. Boomkin failure = rig failure. I'd replace it.

[BALANCE]

I'm back.

This weekend is a big one. I'm going to attempt to take off the remaining screws and bolts (they will spin but not lift) from the genoa track on top of the cap rail, then remove the cap rail and then figure out how to proceed depending on what it looks like.

Any magic trick to getting these screws and bolts up?

I also want to rebed everything bolted to the bulwarks. I will put up a picture of how the two sides of the bulwarks look from where I removed the hawse pipe. The outside skin measures 1/2" and the inside skin measures 1/4". All the stanchions and cleats are bolted to the inside skin only. The primary winches are on a metal bracket and bolted through both skins with carriage bolts - so square hole on out skin, round hole on inner skin.

1. Should I make all these holes disappear and start again?
2. Does the creating a bevel method apply/work in this case as I am woking vertically?
3. Does it make sense to rebolt the stanchions engaging both skins? (I might not have a choice) I have no idea how I'm going to get to the backs of these bolts to remove them to begin with.

The two skins:



The kind of (or lack thereof) access I have from down below. The one nut clearly visible is the back of one of the stanchions



What hath I started?

[BALANCE]

I must have typed over my last post, didn't mean to do that. See above post.