This is my first boat a 1984 30 ft O'Day, I'm new at this and trying to do everything myself. I have a leak into the cabin and I think it is coming from the jib track screws which go all the way through the deck into the cabin and are covered with a plastic sheathing. My question is how do I replace the track. Does it have a casket system on the bottom or some type of membrane to prevent leaks and where do I find the replacement.
cabin leak
- Thread starter rusted truck
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Welcome to the O'Day Forums rusted truck,
The project you have chosen for your first one is a fairly straightforward job. You will need a friend or two to get this done. Someone to hold the machine screw heads with a large (#3 ?) Phillips screwdriver and someone to turn the nuts from below deck. (While they are doing that you could make sandwiches and do a beer run!
) You will probably find one or two on each side that will be "galled" and hard to remove. There will also be one or two that are difficult to reach. By looking at the options you may find that a bit of fiberglas liner removal is necessary. Proceed carefully.
I would suggest replacing the machine screws and the nuts because some will refuse to thread back together. Our track was curved when in place. I was surprised when it straightened out as we removed it. It required some pulling to put it back in place. I think we started from the aft end and moved forward as we replaced the machine screws. The butyl tape mentioned in the previous posts should be easier to use and less of a mess than caulk when you put the track back in place.
Best Wishes for a successful project on a great boat choice.
The project you have chosen for your first one is a fairly straightforward job. You will need a friend or two to get this done. Someone to hold the machine screw heads with a large (#3 ?) Phillips screwdriver and someone to turn the nuts from below deck. (While they are doing that you could make sandwiches and do a beer run!
) You will probably find one or two on each side that will be "galled" and hard to remove. There will also be one or two that are difficult to reach. By looking at the options you may find that a bit of fiberglas liner removal is necessary. Proceed carefully. I would suggest replacing the machine screws and the nuts because some will refuse to thread back together.
Our track was curved when in place. I was surprised when it straightened out as we removed it. It required some pulling to put it back in place. I think we started from the aft end and moved forward as we replaced the machine screws. The butyl tape mentioned in the previous posts should be easier to use and less of a mess than caulk when you put the track back in place.Best Wishes for a successful project on a great boat choice.
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