Bow Pulpit removal 43 M/Y

[Dan Mapes]

Has anyone pulled the pulpit off and how did it go? The rub rail was easy enough but the anchor roller is stuck down to the pulpit really well.
It appears the bow rail is one piece and easily detached from the pulpit but I am not sure I want to leave it hanging so it may come off completely unless I can prop it up at the bow point.

The windlass is out, and all of the bolts are out as well. When I redid the core under it, I shaved off all of the wood screws that were holding some plywood in place under the pulpit.

So if you have any input pass it along (please).

 

[Vincentc]

Yes, on a 1983 43DC. It came out fine, but was challenging. That was in sept 09 and there is a post on my experience entitled bow pulpit removal. I do not know if the MY pulpit is the same as the DC. After 5 year my recollection of details is limited, but I have a number of pictures. I would be happy to respond to your specific questions. A photo of your pulpit might be helpful.

 

[sgharford]

Slightly different vintage - 1976 43DC. The pulpit was bear to get off, and here's why: There were 2 sheets of 3/4 plywood that were laminated together and then screwed to the deck. Then the top of the plywood was covered in epoxy and the pulpit was laid down on top of it. You would never know the screwed down plywood is there as pulpit glass covers it beautifully. Only after nearly giving yourself and buddy an aneurism pulling it up do you realize it wasn't 5200 but in fact mechanical fasteners you just ripped out of the deck. Yours, I hope, is different.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Ok it isn't different. Vincent I have read your thread probably a couple of times. Guys I think our pulpits are very similar. I know for a fact that the plywood we all think exists under our pulpit was screwed into the deck. When I shaved off the core from the bottom up, I found about 8 screws and cut them flush with the upper laminate. They no longer penetrate into the new core, but, there is some epoxy that has been pushed up in and around them for sure.
Today with a heat gun and a fine putty knife the anchor roller came off. I was really worried about this part but all in all it was a pleasant surprise.
Tomorrow I will continue on, yanking up the teak. Thursday Dave at Hurricane Marine will stop by and we will lift off the pulpit and he will clean it up for re-installation.
You may be able to see that there are a mess of screws from the bottom up into the teak. I am thinking someone spent time doing this instead of something more challenging and that is why there are so many damn screws going up into the teak.

 

[Vincentc]

The teak is a real pain to remove. Moreover, removal of the screws which hold the teak will not release the pulpit. There are screws into the built up plywood pad which must be cut. I used a 12 inch, or so, long bladed saws all, and a pry bar, shims and harsh words to get it free. It takes time and patience. Enjoy the challenge.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Vin yeah, I know about the screws into the deck. I shaved them off on the inside when I redid the core. I am hoping they are not stuck that good now. Famous last words...
It was about 2.5 hours to clear out the teak so far. I am going to snap off the teak screws and punch them down. When the pulpit comes off we will shake or vacuum out the other ends.

 

[sgharford]

Yep - that's same pulpit alright. The pulpit is really heavy, probably 250 to 300 lbs, - it should be a 2 person job (I did it by myself with allot of adrenaline). For some reason, it doesn't look nearly as big as it actually is once you free it up. FYI on replacing teak, only place I was able to find long enough stock was at Jamestown Marine. Also, when I replaced the 2 sheets of plywood that were screwed down, I epoxied them directly back into pulpit. When we put pulpit back on, I loaded the deck skin and plywood (which was fully encapsulated in west systems) with 5200. Can't say if this is right or wrong, but the figured the large through bolts under the teak trim and anchor roller where doing most of the holding anyway.

 

[Dan Mapes]

I am certain that fixing the plywood up to the deck and pulpit prevents horizontal movement like when the wind shifts. But heck we use a snubber to the cleats anyway.

 

[fissioneng]

Dan, just curious, maybe I missed this from another thread, but why are you taking the pulpit off?

 

[Dan Mapes]

Clearing out the rotten wood under it, and pulling the teak so I can put down anti skid.

 

[fissioneng]

Clearing out the rotten wood under it...

Okay, got it. And you know it's rotten because you can see/poke at it with the windlass off?

Obviously I'm wondering if I have the same problem and just can't see it.

 

[Dan Mapes]

It depends how far you want to take it. Could I have finished up by merely pushing the windlass back into place? Sure. But I doubt I could have adequately sealed everything up. Maybe with a few quarts of Life Caulk
How would you know? If your windlass is rusting. If you sound out the foredeck. If you look up at the ceiling of the anchor locker and you see paint peeling down along with discoloration in the glass that surrounds thru deck fittings like the chain and line pipes.

 

[Vincentc]

Dan,
This thought may be a little late. Do you still have access to the underside and the screws thru the deck into the pulpit? I suspect that grinding out those screw shafts, and patching the holes in the FG would be much easier that the effort it took me to cut the screws between the deck and the pulpit.

 

[sgharford]

A small leak caused big trouble over time. I believe it was leak under bow pulpit that destroyed over half the core in front deck. Note in picture below how it was port side that sustained most damage - the generator is on port side and boat list that way, thus the starboard side OK. Note the upper deck - core destroyed because of the mast step leaking. I also found picture of that piece of plywood under the bow pulpit that was screwed to deck.

 

[fissioneng]

Wow. I hope I never have to go there.

I know it seems all cored decks in all boats have this problem, but I would have thought the excellent engineering at Hatteras would have devised a method to prevent this, but I guess no one ever thought it would happen!

 

[Dan Mapes]

Hey SG is the fan part of the vacuum bagging rig to squish it all back together

Looks like you had a great time also.

Vincent yes, it is too late. However I did shave them off when the rotten core came out. I have raised the aft end over a quarter inch already but tomorrow we go for the whole enchilada and send it out for paint.
The teak is all out, PITA and all screws have been shaved off so I didn't rip myself up while cleaning out all of the black mastic.

 

[Vincentc]

Your work looks good, better than mine at that stage. I looked back thru my pictures to refresh my memory and found a few that might be of interest.



Screw locations are noted by the orange circles and the sticky tabs. Some screws cannot be reached. Prying and shimming from the back did not do it for me. I about gave up, then I positioned the boat where the pulpit extended over land. I stood on shore and pushed the pulpit up working it up and down from the front until it finally broke loose. The plywood pad was in bad shape and required some surgery and plywood implants. I have photos showing how I did it.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Well it is off. And it took a good chunk of the fiberglass off of the bow. Oh well. The wood under the pulpit was soaked, and while parts right under the windlass were not that bad, all in all, we'll get the teak off and the anti skid done.
I almost wish I left it alone and slapped the windlass back up without consideration but given so much of our cruising is in salt now, sealing things up better became more important. I could see things getting all balled up in rust in a couple of years if I did not go this route.
We lost a good square foot of the paint and one layer of mat with the pulpit. Ugh.

At least none of the work I did failed, and the deck surface over it all stayed put.

 

[Dan Mapes]

And so it is in the shop now. Tomorrow we go after the goo under the plywood etc.. Hopefully we don't destroy the dad-burned thing.

 

[Tim Powell]

And so it is in the shop now. Tomorrow we go after the goo under the plywood etc.. Hopefully we don't destroy the dad-burned thing.
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WHAT A GRATE POST. FYI someone had a Tom Slane pulpit for sale on the HOF.