Hunter 34: yet another sea hood removal nightmare

[Ilanortho]

Took two of us 3 half days to remove. Was strongly bonded to hull along entire length with strong sealant (3M 5200?) most of which was inaccessible. Along with plenty of filth, there was water in many areas even though the boat has been in heated storage for several weeks. Tried solvent softener which was ineffective. Used a very long piece of thin fairly rigid steel which I hammered under it to break it up, a very long screwdriver crowbar, multiple plastic and metal putty knifes,plastic caulk removal tools (to remove hood to deck caulk and quickly wear out), and most effectively (and most dangerously) two short combination crowbars ( the kind with a question mark end combined with a gently curved flat end) alternating them in sequence down the long length of the hood on each side after prying up each end enough to get them started with a long screwdriver crowbar. The question mark end of the crowbar works best as you can then lever it against the deck easily but gently. Hood is not heavy but is bulky and takes two to move it around. Also removed traveler first which came off relatively easily compared to what others have described. Removed hand rails as well for easier access, but this requires removing the inner headliners on each side to get at retaining nuts. This in turn requires dome light removal as there are very short length wires to them!

After all the above, the hood did not crack, but I have a lot of side edge chips to repair on the hood and just a few minor ones on the deck. I also have a lot of sealant to get off the deck. All in all, a really nasty design from a maintenance standpoint. I have to figure out how I'm going to reattach so I can get it off more easily in the future for cleaning and inspection.

 

[Ilanortho]

So now for the million dollar question: When reattaching the sea hood should I
1) Just place sealant around each screw when inserting or
2) use sealant along entire length of hood the way it was and almost impossible to remove without damage (3M 4200 this time?)
3) and regardless of either of the above caulk the seam between the hood and the deck - using 4200 or silicone for easier removal and resealing?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Stu Jackson]

None of the above.

Butyl tape from Maine Sail.

ONLY.

 

[Allan12210]

Sorry that was such a difficult task. That link I posted didn't exactly indicate it would be so much trouble. It sounds like yours may have been removed in the past and really glued back down. As I understood it, the perimeter caulk is only cosmetic and just fills the surface gap. The seahood itself is not adhered to what is underneath. Its just the screws that hold it down and they are prone to leaking if not sealed. You can either use Mainsail's approach of forming a cone of butyl tape under the head of each screw before driving them back in or use a sealant injected into the holes. I might try both together....a deep fill with some Sikaflex, Boatlife or 4200, then the butyl wrapped screw. Just fill the perimeter with the same material and trowel it with a gloved finger. Later if you have to remove it again, you can just cut it with a razor and lift the seahood free. Post some pictures of what it looks like under there if you have them.

 

[Ilanortho]

Thanks all for excellent advise; it was indeed glued down all the way around with a 2-3" wide thick strip of pure white sealant or adhesive I suspect was 3M 5200. In one area in fact it pulled a layer of fiberglass off for a length of a foot which I will now have to repair

 

[markwbird]

Why did you want to remove it in the first place? Considering how much trouble it was and all.

 

[Ilanortho]

Several reasons;
It started with companionway hatch squeal that announced to the whole marina when I get up early am; I tried multiple remedies to little effect. When I got the sea hood off I found that the wooden stop block had cracked in two plus all the filth that was present. My next stop block will probably be acrylic or some such plastic; it is only a few inches long.
Second, when I bought the boat this past June, the surveyor noticed that the cabin roof moisture level was somewhat high, and previous post noted that water tends to collect. As I pulled the screws out along the length of the hood I noticed that the further aft I got they were coming out wetter and wetter and were not really sealed well. I also noted this under the cabin top hand rails.
Third, the caulking in the seam along the hood was old and gross looking.
Fourth, I hate filth anywhere on any machine and will tear it apart just to clean things. I was not disappointed, everything was covered with black filth. In fact I intend to spend all of tomorrow using a large jug of simple green to clean the cabin top and hood.
I intend to also inject Fix Rot into the screw holes and after a week or two inject epoxy into the screw holes before using butyl tape around the screws.

Finally, would love to see pictures from the person who eliminated the screw holes and just bolted the hood down in four places.
Sorry for such a long post!

 

[lnikl]

Have you discovered the secret of getting the sliding hatch not to leak (other than having a dodger)?

 

[Allan12210]

Have you discovered the secret of getting the sliding hatch not to leak (other than having a dodger)?

Of course I can't find a picture, but my wife made a cover out of the waterproof Sunbrella that extends from the traveller all the way down to the cockpit floor. We put snaps at strategic locations to hold it in place when we are away from the boat. Since it tended to fill with water because its a flat surface, we place a piece of rigid foam underneath (on top of the hatch cover. That gives it a tent shape so it sheds the water. No more leaks into the boat.

 

[Ilanortho]

I believe this is a picture of what you are referring to (I found this posted ):