I am a new proud owner of a 2007 Beneteau 423. The boat is in great shape. I have decided to convert the existing sheet winches to electric (Lewmar, size 54).
I bought the conversion kit, read the instructions, everything looked good. Then I tried to remove the existing winches. Big problem. The bolts holding them in place came out easily but they are also glued to the deck with something like 3M 5200 sealant adhesive. I tried everything short of swinging a sledge hammer but they would not budge. Has anyone had any experience in removal of deck hardware that was glued in place with permanent sealant?
I bought the conversion kit, read the instructions, everything looked good. Then I tried to remove the existing winches. Big problem. The bolts holding them in place came out easily but they are also glued to the deck with something like 3M 5200 sealant adhesive. I tried everything short of swinging a sledge hammer but they would not budge. Has anyone had any experience in removal of deck hardware that was glued in place with permanent sealant?