deck bolts leaking

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J

Jf

I just bought a C22. The previous owner didn't cover it during the winter and so I didn't see the need either. Today I went to check on it, and it's thawing outside so the 6 or so inches of snow on the cabintop has melted and I noticed that the bolts on the inside had drips on them. It appears that the water has leaked from the handrail bolts through the deck. There's hardly any water in the bottom, but I am concerned about the leaking bolts and screws. Is this normal? How do I seal them up?
 
G

Gerry, GMJ Marine

Leaking bolts

JF, It could just be some heavy condensation if there isn't too much water in the bilge. One way to know for sure is to run a hose down the cabin top for a few minutes then check the suspected bolts after a while. Do this when it's not freezing out. If there are leaks then you must remove the bolts after the deck dries and re-bed them with a sealant. Sorry, no easy fix for this but to do the work. This is a good time to refinish the teak while the hand rails are off the boat. When you do re-bed, tighten the screws about 80-90%, clean off the ooze and wait until the next day to fully tighten the screws. This leaves enough material to act as a gasket. If you tighten down completely right away, you'll squeeze out most of the sealant and diminish it's effectiveness as a gasket. I usually drill a little countersink around the screw hole on the deck before I add the sealant. It provides an area that doesn't squeeze out too easily, and when it dries leaves a gasket around the screw and on the deck. Take the time, do it right and you should be happy with the results. Good luck.
 
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