After Bulkhead R&R

[Randy Stolze]

I have searched to no avail for the procedure to remove the "hidden screw" in the aft bulkhead in the rear cabin. Is it in the upper right corner? Is there only one hidden screw?

[Mike Smith]

Unfortunately I could not find any way to get to it, and you can't remove the aft paneling with it screwed in.  The only one is to starboard, the port side has no such screw. To gain better access in upgrading my pedestal instrument arrangement, I resorted to making a vertical cut in the teak panneling to remove it. The port side came out easily, but the starboard one is secured with this @#$%! screw.  By twisting and turning the starboard panel as you remove it, you will finally see it and be able to unscrew it.  It must have been put there prior to completing the boat, because there is no way you could screw it in at that angle.  I covered the cut with a teak strip - looks fine.  By the way, are you still interested in the spare parts (instrument pods, pedestal, etc.) from my upgrade?

Mike Smith
S/V Breezer
www.mikejansmith.com

[Stu Jackson]

HIDDEN SCREW

It's in the Tech Notes.  Easiest to find it if you read through Tech Notes Index.  There are, as I recall, two articles about it.  Nov 92 and Aug 94.

Stu

[John Gardner]

I had the bulkhead out a couple of weeks ago.  From memory it is shaped as shown below, with the top edge trapped by a sort crown molding.  The hidden screw is in the crown molding as marked.  It is necessary to take a sharp spike or similar to your beautiful fiber glass finish and dig out the precisely color-matched filler that is in the hole.  That will give you access to the screw head.
There was another hidden screw holding my bulkhead in place. It was a screw for one of the screw-attached ty wraps for the wiring.  It had been screwed into a wooden strip in the lazarette.  It  went right through the strip and penetrated the back side of the cabin bulkhead panel as shown below.  I got to it by removing the fuel tank panel and reaching with a screwdriver at fingertip length blind round the end of the bulkhead panel.  It did not go back in!