Flybridge deck question.

[oscarvan]

My flybridge needs medical attention. There are cracks in it. I suspect the bridge itself with it's 1168 screws may not be 100% tight either. Good news is that the boat has been under roof for the last 20 years and rarely ever is there water on there, so there is no major water intrusion. Surveyor said there were two spots with "elevated moisture readings" but they were not "wet" and certainly not spongy. There are a few very faint stains on the head liner below, but they look very old.

Still I have to do something here. So plans are forming.

I was told there is plywood in the core where the flybridge attaches. This is good.

First question I have is whether there is anything else in the core than balsa under the stanchion bases for the weather boards behind the fly bridge? Did they put plywood or solid epoxy in the core for the screws there....... I hope? Re-bedding is one thing, opening up the deck and installing something solid there is another.

Thanks.

[boatwright]

i recored my 71 53 several years ago. the plywood under the flybridge was only around the perimeter of the base. and only 6 inches or less wide. nothing but balsa under the bases

[rourkeh]

My whole flybridge deck is soft. I bought it like that. I am going to re-core the deck this summer and
will probably use high quality 3/4" epoxied ply over the entire surface, with big 1/2" aluminium plates where the hardware attaches.

[jmooney]

My 1983 61MY had a couple of cracks near the stanchion mounts on the fly bridge. This was the result of water getting to the aluminum backing plates for the stanchion mounts and causing enough corrosion to expand the plates and crack the fiberglass. Not a hard repair, but time consuming.

[Timeless72]

We just finished recoring the bridge. Quite a project. Roughly half was wet.

[oscarvan]

OK, so the stanchion bases are just screwed and glued to a layer of fiberglass.

That changes things. I am not putting it back together like that. I think a 6" or so hole saw, remove balsa, pour solid glass and replace the cutout disc.

There is a layer of glass going on the entire deck, and I am glassing the bridge itself to the deck. I have no intention of ever taking it off.

[SEVEN]

When are you going to start this project. Please send photos.

[oscarvan]

When are you going to start this project. Please send photos.

Washer/Dryer installation and tool/parts storage in forward cabin is next. (Appliance is on order) Then this. There will be extensive pictures, and a writeup on my blog. Good news is, again, I'm under roof so I can do it in phases.

[SKYCHENEY]

Later boats had aluminum backing plates where the stations are up there. Yours may have them too. I'm not sure when they started doing that.

[Toolsntoys]

Last year I recored the entire deck. What started as just a few spots turned into a much bigger project. I ended up fiberglassing the flybridge down and got rid of all the screws. I can tell you it’s no easy task. Good luck.