One last note: Soft spots can develop any where on deck and should be checked for often and repaired. Chain plates, etc. are holes through the deck and must be checked. I would have preferred O’Day have designed theirs (back in the day) like the Pacific Seacraft (Flica) version (on the sides), but let’s face facts. The O’Day’s are a fraction of the cost and use standard accessories, and if well cared for will last a lifetime. My first step, if an upgrade was needed would be to replace the back plates with longer stainless steel ones that would need to be made to fit. Now I’m going to share a little secret that works for me (please no critic’s on this procedure). When I winterize NORA, she gets a light spray of silicone spray on her deck (tire shine & wet look automotive products). The silicone keeps the rubber seals soft and creates water barriers on any micro fractures in the gel coat. Caution here, silicone is very slippery. Silicone works better than wax although each spring she gets a good wash down, wax, inspection and does a great job of bringing life back to an old boat for another year. I don’t recommend this procedure to any one. It is simply an experiment to see how long NORA will be around.
