Maintenance/rebedding deck hardware

[Tranquility]

We are looking for tips on maintaining deck hardware on our 1982 Cape Dory 33, "Tranquility." We have heard that all Cape Dory deck hardware is installed in solid fiberglass. Is this true? If so, what deck hardware is most important to rebed? What recommendations do you have?

[Jim Walsh]

We are looking for tips on maintaining deck hardware on our 1982 Cape Dory 33, "Tranquility." We have heard that all Cape Dory deck hardware is installed in solid fiberglass. Is this true? If so, what deck hardware is most important to rebed? What recommendations do you have?

Everything I have seen has been installed on solid glass. I would only remove and rebed something which required attention. Those items which I have removed and rebedded I used 3M 4000UV. It’s great above or below the waterline but can be removed without damaging mating surfaces....unlike 3M 5200.....which should be avoided unless you never intend to remove the item.

[ghockaday]

We are looking for tips on maintaining deck hardware on our 1982 Cape Dory 33, "Tranquility." We have heard that all Cape Dory deck hardware is installed in solid fiberglass. Is this true? If so, what deck hardware is most important to rebed? What recommendations do you have?

Everything I have seen has been installed on solid glass. I would only remove and rebed something which required attention. Those items which I have removed and rebedded I used 3M 4000UV. It’s great above or below the waterline but can be removed without damaging mating surfaces....unlike 3M 5200.....which should be avoided unless you never intend to remove the item.

Reason number one bazillion I bought a Dory. Dennis

[Keith]

I agree with Jim, the factory installed hardware areas that I have looked into are solid and that you should only need to rebed any issue areas. If you want to rebel everything start at the bow and work your way back do a couple pieces a year. I have receded almost everything over an 8 year period. I use butyl rubber.

Keith

[SVFayaway]

I strongly recommend butyl tape for rebedding hardware. I find it easier to use, and far less messy, than 4200 and have had a 100% success rate when fixing leaky hardware. You do have to come back and tighten the fittings again once the sealant has settled and clean up the excess but what squeezes out can be reused. Compass Marine sells their own high-quality butyl tape and are a strong advocate for its use. They also have a lot of useful information on their site, including a tutorial on servicing Spartan seacocks among many other things.

For what it's worth, my Cape Dory 28 has some soft spots acquired from factory installed hardware. She was built in 1974 so maybe pre-dating the policy of only installing into solid fiberglass.

[Paul D.]

I am only sure that the rails have no core in the deck areas. I have not found poorly bedded hardware on our 33 but I have heard of binnacle stands not being sealed and cockpit soles getting wet core because of it. I generally watch for any leaks and go around every couple seasons and tap the deck with a plastic hammer around fittings and try to be honest with myself about hearing any hollow sounds. So far I have only needed to rebed items I have installed. When we installed a wood stove with the vent on the coachroof, that area was certainly cored. I second the recommendation of using butyl tape.

[SVFayaway]

I am only sure that the rails have no core in the deck areas.

This is consistent with my experience. Everything I've rebedded along the rails (which has been a lot) has been solid glass, including the chainplates and stanchion bases.

[Steve Laume]

Deck fills, emergency tiller, pedestal, cleats and some other stuff, does go through cored areas. I re bedded almost everything on Raven and made a few new holes. I use a cut off allen wrench with the short end sharpened to a chisel point to gouge out the core then fill with epoxy. Everything that I re bed has the screw slots lined up so I know which hardware I have worked on and it looks proper, Steve.

[n5ama]

My CD25D has a rotten area of core on the port bow area just aft of the anchor locker and near the toe rail. I really don’t see mounted hardware or anything else that would leak and cause damage in this area. It is about one square foot in area and very soft. I have elevated moisture in several other areas of the deck including the cockpit sole.

I plan to cut the rotten area out and repair it in a few weeks and then sand, prime with primekote and paint all horizontal surfaces. I’ll also put anti skid on appropriate areas. I plan to do this in stages starting with the rotten bow area first and then work back.

[Keith]

Deck fills, emergency tiller, pedestal, cleats and some other stuff, does go through cored areas. I re bedded almost everything on Raven and made a few new holes. I use a cut off allen wrench with the short end sharpened to a chisel point to gouge out the core then fill with epoxy. Everything that I re bed has the screw slots lined up so I know which hardware I have worked on and it looks proper, Steve.

Steve,

You are correct on the emergency tiller and pedestal areas being cored. I'm currently rebuilding the steering system and have already added epoxy to those places. I'll be posting that project under separate cover but it covers shoring up the cockpit sole, cutting out rust & welding the support structure, installing new throttle & shift cables, freeing up the throttle & shift levers and cleaning up some oxidized area on the pedestal itself.

Keith