I just removed and re bedded my chain-plates and it went well. I used a variety of new products including "Rot Doctor." to seal the wood in the deck. I also drilled out larger bolt holes from underneath (leaving the deck layer of glass the same size hole) and then filled the holes with thickened epoxy and re-drilled. So I think I've protected my chore and then I used 3M 4000 as a sealant.
I have same daunting task ahead of me. I'd appreciate any pointers or detail descriptions you can provide. What order did you do the chain plates? What type of wood / drill bit did you use to drill out the bolt holes to a larger size? What type of epoxy did you use? Where and how did you apply the Rot Doctor? etc. etc. etc. Thanks in advance for any additional information you can provide.
Dave
1990 / 988
Jerry : Sounds as though you did a bang up job!!
However, Before you get started there are two schools of thought:
1. release all of the tension and caulk, then re tension when caulk cures
2. keep the tensions on while you're caulking
I'm of the school that likes to keep the tension on, so there's minimal stretch of the caulk after it's cured. :wink:
Ron, I did this with my mast out, so I had no choice but to do it without tension. I'll let you know how it goes.
Dave, I'll do a detailed write-up on the procedures and materials I used in a couple of days.
I re-bedded my chain plates late last summer/early fall after experiencing wetness after heavy rains. I did the starboard side first, as that was the wet side, and then the port as a preventive measure.
I removed the chain plate from the hole in the deck and thoroughly cleaned out the area, then reattached and tensioned the stay after first re-bedding. I have been the happy owner of a very dry boat since!