Traveler leak

[DougP]

Yes, I've spent a couple of evenings searching old posts, but....

I'm trying to track down leaks. My  '87 has a Harken traveler with 4 screws, but none are though bolted.

I suspect a minor leak in the traveler, and started to remove it. Problem is a couple of screw simply don't want to come out. Getting them out is going to involve some damage somewhere.

I'm looking for either hints to remove the screw/ bolt, or a clean way to seal the traveler in place. With the 4 bolts (per side) in place. I'm not too concerned about the strength, just want it dry.

[Stu Jackson]

Doug, you may reconsider and perhaps should be concerned about the strength.  One of the "early boat" stories was the lack of through-bolting, although I do understand that you have a different traveler than most of us.  And you've done the research and know the issues.

From your description it sounds like there are either four places where metal was placed underneath the fiberglass supports for the traveler and they were machine screwed in and have seized, or just four screws were used on either side and just into the glass.  If the latter, it's unusal that they won't come out, although they could be corroded from the side of the screw to the holes in the track.  Anyway, that's three more screws per side than were used in the early boats and the single screw, as you know, was the reason why some travelers pulled out of the 'glass.  I doubt that they are machine screws because the early boats just weren't made with many of those embedded plates on them.  I can only think of the deck organizers and maybe one or two of the cabintop sheet stoppers.

We had the same issue with ours a few years ago - leaks, that is.  I had earlier purchased and installed the extension through bolts from Catalina in 1999.  I took off the track and re-bedded everything in 2004 because of the leaks which were unrelated to the bolts.  In 1999, being new to the boat, I neglected to remove the traveler when I was installing the bolts.  I should have done so, because I would have found out how little sealant had been used by the factory originally and saved myself a lot of work redoing it in 2004.

From your description you can't undo the screws, so here are the choices I would consider if it was my boat: 

1.  somehow get between the glass and the screws and cut the screws to get the track off, remove the bottom (glass) end of the screws by drilling them out and the epoxy the holes, re-drill and reinstall with four screws each side

   a.  I would question the four screws since the four of them still wouldn't give you the holding power of a through bolt, although if you're comfortable with that, even after reported instances of failure, albeit with only one or two screws, that's your decision

   b.  if you go to all that trouble in this option, why tempt fate and go back to screws which aren't very good in tension, when you have the perfect opportunity to through bolt

   c.  assumes you've already used PB Blaster on the screws

2.  Carefully seal the joint between the track and the glass.  You'll still be left with some potential leaks down the screw holes.

[Ken Juul]

I would just remove the heads of the offending screws.  Start with a small cone shaped grinding wheel to fair out the slots/ridges of the screw head, then use a drill slightly smaller than the screw head to remove the tops.  Once removed you should be able to pry the traveller off the screw shanks.  Then use some vice grips/channel locks to remove the remains of the screws.  Slow and steady with the grinding wheel and drill is the key, don't get in a hurry and marr the traveller.

I too would highly suggest adding the thru bolts.  Cheap insurance, loosing the traveller in a blow or unexpected gybe could injure someone and ruin a month of sailing.