Deck fitting fasteners

[Bill Root]

I want to re-bed the deck fittings (safety rail stanchions, cleats, etc.) on my 43 DCMY. Does anyone know if the fittings are attached using screws or bolts? If bolts, do I need to worry about the nuts falling off and having to tear the boat apart to get at the underside to re-fasten, or are they epoxied in place? Thanks.

Bill Root
43 DCMY

 

[yachtsmanbill]

On my '74 58 TC the stanchions are fastened with a #12 or 14 wood screw. Whenever I pull one off, I re-drill and tap for a machine screw. There is an aluminum strip imbedded into the glass gun'l cap. I would be guessing, but the deck fittings should be through bolted. ws

 

[CapetaniosG]

Bill- If the fastening of the stashion base is the same as in my 1975 53MY (and I assuming it is) there is an aluminum plate embeded in the FRP drilled and threaded. The bases are then fastened with machine bolts into the plate. There are no removable bolt nuts involved in the installation. It is not an easy job to remove those bolts but it can be done using an electric drill in reverse at low rpm and using a good quality screwdriver bit of appropeate size. I would suggest you re-thead the old holes in the aluminum plate or drill and tap new ones if the base would allow you to do so. Make sure you plug and seal the old holes in the FRP to prevent water intrution.

CapetaniosG

 

[Bill Root]

Thank you both. I knew it wouldn't be simple.

Bill

 

[spartonboat1]

On my '72 43'MY I had a stanchion fastener break at the base last summer. If they are the same as yours, yours are slotted head, chrome plated brass, screwed into the aforementioned aluminum plated embedded under the fiberglass deck. The advantage of brass is that it can be drilled out, in case of a screw break, such as mine. I wound up drilling out the screw center and removing with a small dia EZout. Gently, gently and they will back out.

I inserted a SS screw of the same dia and threads. I am not happy about that because of the dis-similar metals (SS vs. Al), so I hope to switch to the plated brass at a later time.

A little off point, but some content on the fasterner and base plate.

 

[Walter P]

On my '82 Series I 48 MY, the stantions are bolted through the fibreglas into threaded holes in an imbedded aluminum plate. The plate is about 1/4" thick and the system works well. If you use SS screws instead of the standard chrome plated bronze, be sure to use something such as Tefgel on the threads so you can remove them if necessary in the future.

Regarding Chocks or Cleats, they are through bolted and someone must hold the nuts below. On my boat all the cleats & chocks are accessable either through a removable ceiling panel or a trap door in a cabinet. You can probably check it out very easy by looking in the anchor rode locker.


Walt

 

[sgharford]

I too have a 43' DC (1976) and the last of the 3 bolts holding the stanchion on the port forward deck snapped over the weekend. It is a threaded chrome plated brass machine screw and not a wood screw - that much I can tell you. If I get to replacing them this weekend I'll post another thread and let you know if we too have the threaded aluminum plate embedded in deck.