Flybridge screws, leaks

[dar636]

Hello,

Well the rains are back in force in the great NW, the YF has developed a leak I assume from the flybridge hold down screws into coring, and its coming out of the port side pilothouse door extrior light. Real ugly brown/red stains.

Is the fix to rebed all of the screws? Is there a better way? How is it done?

 

[SEVEN]

That’s the easiest way unless there is core damage. Remove the screws and beauty rings inject 4200 or equal into the hole. Replace with new beauty rings and 316 stainless screws that are 1/4 to 1/2” longer to get a better bite. The harder way is to remove the screws and rings and inject epoxy into the holes until it reaches the top of the lip. It might take two applications. Sand smooth and repaint. The epoxy acts like fasteners to hold the bridge down. Again this is as long as there is no core damage.

 

[Captain Ralph]

If this is a cored section, I have a recommendation on your fix.

If your sure it is just the screws leaking, they have been leaking for a while if water is already dripping down hill, under-over-thru the coring and out a light hole. I worry some core is already damaged.

In the swamps, were never in a hurry to cut up boat sections to open Pandora's Box.

I would use a syringe and starting shooting lots of denatured alcohol into the open screw holes.
This will help rinse out some water and help dry some places for epoxy to stick to.
The next day, Tape up that light hole to keep epoxy from running out onto your finished surfaces.
With a syringe, start shooting some slightly* thickened epoxy into the holes. Let that flow away from the screw holes. A few hours later, do it again.
This will clot up the path the water has been taking without all of the epoxy to just drain away to your light. Next day shoot in some more. Just a lil at a time. The old water path should start clotting up and back filling.
This may take a few days but keep it up till the screw holes wont take in any more epoxy.
Let that sit for two days, counter drill new screw holes, bed and set your new truss-head screws till just tight. Don't over tighten them.

* Not to thickened epoxy, you want it to flow slow & clot but not pour away. It will slowly fill where the original core has separated or disappeared.

From seat stands, nav-lights and fishing rod holders, this has saved a lot of water damaged core areas thru the years.

 

[Bob Quinn]

Good idea on the epoxy. Just curious, possibly the wood penetrating epoxy that is available?

 

[SEVEN]

What every direction you go don’t forget to do all the acres inside the fly bridge including the ones underneath the helm.

 

[jmooney]

Good idea on the epoxy. Just curious, possibly the wood penetrating epoxy that is available?

Probably way too thin . I have had West System epoxy flow way too far because I didn’t thicken the first batch that I put in to wet the area that I eventually filled with thick epoxy.

 

[MadHatter53]

https://www.thehulltruth.com/boatin...emium-3x-soft-deck-injection-experiences.html

Have a look.

 

[dar636]

Thanks for the info, I need to figure out how to get out of the weather long enough to dry out the water intrusion.

In the meantime - has anyone removed all the screws and bonded/glassed the flybridge to the cabin roof? I seem to remember someone on the forum doing so.

 

[SEVEN]

A friend of mine did. As I mentioned he removed the screws filled the holes with thickened epoxy until it was over the lip. He then sanded it smooth and repainted. The epoxy acted like screws. No leaks, great adhesion.

 

[MadHatter53]

My flybridge was done prior to my purchase. I still have a leak or two during heavy rains which I think comes from the drains on either side of flybridge forward corners.

 

[dar636]

My flybridge was done prior to my purchase. I still have a leak or two during heavy rains which I think comes from the drains on either side of flybridge forward corners.

Thanks - that is a good place to start looking for leaks, I'll check those drains are clear.

 

[PierreR]

Last winter I did my flying bridge screws on my 77 42 LRC. I took out all the screws and found so little sealer under the flying bridge that I was able to jack it up about a half inch all around without disconnecting the front or anything on the bridge. I washed all the crud out from under the lap and the cabin top and then re-installed it with 4200 sealer.
They were shipped new from the Highpoint facility to the water without the flying bridge on them. The were then dealer installed so your results may vary.

 

[bostonhatteras]

Last winter I did my flying bridge screws on my 77 42 LRC. I took out all the screws and found so little sealer under the flying bridge that I was able to jack it up about a half inch all around without disconnecting the front or anything on the bridge. I washed all the crud out from under the lap and the cabin top and then re-installed it with 4200 sealer.
They were shipped new from the Highpoint facility to the water without the flying bridge on them. The were then dealer installed so your results may vary.

This is exactly what I did. Jacked an inch, no need to disconnect anything. Sanded the cabin top and bottom of bridge flange and set into a couple healthy beads of 4200. Went up one screw size so no threads not grabbing, added 4200 around screw shank and under the flanged finish washer. Original set up was some form of gasket but no sealer. I also added a drain cut out in the flange at each furthest aft and outboard point so any water getting under the bridge will drain out and not be trapped.

 

[Nonchalant1]

First, check the front flybridge enclosure seeps. Water from the flybridge floor usually goes out from the flybridage floor into the forward compartment floor through holes at the front corners of the enclosure at the floor. This water needs to make its way to exit holes (seeps) at the outside front corners of the enclosure to run off the edge of the roof there.
If there are blockages of the exterior seeps or no good way for water to get from the enclosure floor to the exterior seeps, the water will find a way to go down somewhere. I have seen pipes or channels glued down to the enclosure floors from the entrance to the exit seeps on both sides to channel this water.

 

[dar636]

Thanks all - more to follow. I think I'm going to go the jack and reseal route with new fasteners.

 

[dar636]

Short update - I crawled into the flybridge bench seats and found pooled water on the side where I noticed the staining. I went through all of the limber holes with a pipe cleaner brush, cleaned up all of the surfaces inside the seating and also underneath the flybridge helm itself so water could flow through and out the exterior drain holes. I also noticed that my canvas bridge cover did'nt cover the limber holes on the aft end of the bench seats so I reworked the snaps in that area to stretch the canvas over that spot which is where I think the rain water was coming in.

I may have dodged a big job for now, its been dry for three days, the rains are back tonight thru the weekend so I'll have more info in a couple of days.

I could put a couple of bunks under the helm, big space...

 

[Bob Quinn]

This is exactly what I did. Jacked an inch, no need to disconnect anything. Sanded the cabin top and bottom of bridge flange and set into a couple healthy beads of 4200. Went up one screw size so no threads not grabbing, added 4200 around screw shank and under the flanged finish washer. Original set up was some form of gasket but no sealer. I also added a drain cut out in the flange at each furthest aft and outboard point so any water getting under the bridge will drain out and not be trapped.

Good idea on the added drain ports. I re did my screws with 4200 last summer, also with larger screws and noticed how the water wanted to pool up on the inside while cleaning it out.

Larger screws worked good for the most part but some wanted to go in crooked. I couldn't find larger screws in a fine pitch though. That would have worked better.

 

[Bob Quinn]

Also when I did mine I bouught a couple packs of wood shims and tapped them in to lift up the flange about 1/16" all around. Then when I forced in the 4200 I didn't stop until in started to squirt out around the flange creating a large seal around the screw area. I would fill 4 or 5 holes and remove a few shims and screw down then move on to the next section. It worked pretty good.

 

[dar636]

Good info, thanks everyone. The weather here has been oddly dry since I cleaned out the limber holes and reposistioned the flybridge canvas - hasnt rained since...

That is supposed to change Thursday. Will advise later!