Good Morning Salty, attached is a picture of what you will probably find after removal of the seahood and the subsequent removal of the traveller from the hood. The void to the left of the picture is what you'll find after you cut away the top later of glass that encapsulates the thru bolts that secure the center of the traveller to the hood. I expected to find a solid metal bar of anything but stainless as the bolts had been a bitch to remove due galvanic reaction between the stainless bolts and what I found to be aluminum. I my case I think my boat was either a Friday (early beer day) or a Monday (hangover) production because in stead of one solid piece I found the four scrap pieces, embedded in the glass after being taped and the bolts screwed into them. I one case the bolt held nothing as they had attempted to tap between two separate pieces with the tap falling directly on the joint. I decided at that point to fill the void with several layers of glass mat and thickened epoxy then a layer of bi-axe glass as opposed to re-installing a taped piece of stainless flat stock and glassing over it. Following filling the void, I used the original hole locations in the top of the hood where the bolts went through and drilled holes through the bi-axle glass and thickened epoxy/glass mat, purchased a 1/8" piece of stainless flat stock cut to the proper length to be used as a backing plate of the new bolts. I placed the flat stock on the bottom of the hood over the fresh holes and marked the bolt positions and then drilled the flat stock to match. When the hood was re-installed on the foredeck I ran new stainless bolts through the traveller and the hood which came through just above the plexiglass companionway slider. I then used both flat stainless steel nuts to firmly attached the traveller to the hood using the drilled stainless flat stock as a backing plate. I finished the job using stainless acorn nuts on the ends of the thru bolts to avoid any problems with scratches to the companionway plexi or to lines etc. that may come in contact with the bolt ends. Just as an aside to this whole story, the traveller is a bitch to remove due to galvanic corrosion of the stainless bolts and the aluminum fittings that they secure to. When you attempt to remove the traveller use an impacting drill and the best bits you can find to try and rattle the bolts that attach the traveller to the cabin top, if this doesn't succeed don't totally screw the bolt heads with trying other methods. Call a welder with portable equipment and have him weld nuts to the top of the bolts by inserting the welding rod inside the entire surface of the nuts. When welded on give the top of the nut a sharp crack with a hammer and then using a proper sized socket and ratchet try and turn the bolts out, it may take a bit of back and forth but they will eventually release and turn out. When you have the traveller off and hood repaired find and use as many stainless bolts as are required that have a head for use with an Allen key and cover the end of the bolts in Never Seize prior to re-installing. Life will be so much simpler should you need to disassemble things another time. Hope this helps. Karl
Again, thank you so much for all that wonderful information Karl. This forum is so helpful and I really appreciate all your effort, I still have a lot of reading to do!
We brought the boat over 2 years ago and absolutely love her. She was in good shape at the time although surprisingly we have worked on her non stop since but happily so with lots of great improvement. I have looked from time to time at this forum but are now realising how much value is here. I do envy all the owners and advice about sourcing parts as Australia is very limited this way, we are metric and 240 power, we often need to be inventive. Coincidentally I was looking at images the other day posted by Chris Powell and realised it was our boat, he was the PO and I recognised the orange halyard in the photo as ours in his post about removing the sea hood, amazing and great in that he has done it so I am hoping it will be easier for us now.
Classic about the Friday or Monday production hiccups, excuse the pun and yes that surprises me of Hunter, we will be fitting ours up the way you have to be sure it’s strong and easier for future access, thanks for the photos, they certainly help.
We are so happy generally with the design of the boat, her liveability, sail-ability, she was way ahead of her time for a 95 model. Have done many cosmetic and more structural improvements.
When we purchased the boat, we hired a not so good (sadly) skipper to bring her to her new berth and despite our best efforts to be thorough and safe we left late due to him and ended up coming through the heads, (the rip) into Port Philip Bay from Bass Strait, they are treacherous and notoriously dangerous waters and we came through on the wrong tide, standing waves and following seas the towered up behind us. My husband helmed as the skipper was sea sick!?! and although very scary we managed and it sealed our faith in our new boat as one we could trust.
Would recommend the Hunter 40.5 to anyone and she is the envy of many in our Marina who have newer more expensive yachts.
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