Just ordered a pop top cover for my Hunter 23.5 ,

[Hayden]

and am looking for tips on installling it............Thanks for any help.Hayden

 

[crazy dave]

suggestion

Hayden;make sure that the drill bit is two sizes smaller and use 5200. YOu may want to remove a little of the gel around the hole so it will not crack when you screw the rascal into the boat.Start at the front in front of the hinge area. You need to get the corners only. I assume you will have the companionway up of course. The next is the rear but have someone in the middle of each side when you work on the side pulling down on the side so you do not overpull at the end. I hope this makes sense.Crayz dave

 

[Wanderer138]

Is the deck cored?

If it is, then I suggest you overdrill the locations where the mounting screws go by at least 1/8-inch. If the pop-top mountes with self-tapping screws do NOT drill through the inner skin.Mix up some epoxy (West System or Epiglass is best because it runs like pancake syrup and fills all the voids. Fill the holes back to the deck level. You may have to do this two or three times as the epoxy will find and fill every void in the area.The idea here is to seal the core so that even if the caulk seal around the pop-top mounts fails in the future, water won't get into the core. It's a pain in the @$$ but worth the effort because once the core gets wet, it is impossible to dry it and rot will eventually develop. After having to replace chainplate bulkheads because of rot, I treat EVERY hole I drill/cut in my deck like this.When the epoxy cures, predrill the mounting holes and screw down the pop-top. To simplify cleanup and obtain immaculate results, mask off the deck and the pop-top mounts before you start caulking. Disposable latex or vinyl gloves will also make a huge difference.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Frank Ladd]

I don't think it is cored

I don't think the 23.5 has a cored deck. So there is no need for the overdrill and epoxy routine. I dont think the 260 has a cored deck either.

 

[Wanderer138]

Some areas are cored, some aren't

Sometimes, the only way to know is to drill the mounting holes. If you find wood core or worse, a space between the skins, seal with epoxy. Once water gets in there is no way to get it back out short of ripping up the deck. I wouldn't rely totally on 5200, especially since it will be exposed to sunlight and the seal can deteriorate. Besides, sealing with epoxy is fairly simple. OK, I'll admit it adds a bit more time to the project, but it's still faster and easier than trying to fix rot...PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[John Pollitt]

Using epoxy

If you do use epoxy, simply over drill the hole, fill with epoxy, then drill your mounting hole through the epoxy. As Peter said, it may take longer, but the job will be done right, and you won't have to wonder if water is getting in.Fair winds,John