After reading a recent article about things to check during Spring Commissioning I gave my cockpit locker hinges a quick check.
The hinges are bolted to the top of the locker.
Some of the bolts had rusted such that the nuts had fallen off and there was evidence of water getting into the core.
I removed the bolts, chamfered the holes and cleaned out the holes as best I could. I did find some rotten core.
I was surprised that the top of the locker was cored. It is pretty thin but is cored nonetheless.
I was also surprised to find no evidence that sealant was used to bed the hinges.
I cleaned up all the surfaces and put it back together using new 316 stainless steel fasteners and butyl tape.
I did have to use a hacksaw to trim off the ends of the bolts. Any extra length would prevent the cover from closing.
Hopefully the core had only minor damage. They do seem to be very solid.
Picture of one of the hinges here:
It seems very solid on my boat and I'm hoping that now that they are sealed further damage will be prevented.
