Lifeline stanchions

[Golden Road]

All of mine need tightening, and one was badly damaged to the point where I have ripped it out completely. Accessibility from below is difficult, so I will have to cut a square out of the liner for re-building the deck (this is the starboard stanchion at the forward end of the cockpit). Some of the deck coring around that stanchion is spongey, too.
Do the stanchions have a plywood backing plate under the deck? I'm thinking if so, they are all decaying from leakage, and general moisture. There's no way to tighten them really, cause I can't access the bolts below deck. Your input is appreciated. This group has already been a great help. Believe me, I need it with this boat. It was abandoned (on land) for many years. It suffered from leaks (anchor locker drain pipe broke, cockpit drain pipe broke), baking in the hot sun, and lots of mice making a mess of everything edible. - Stusail

 

[Indysailor]

The cabin liner in mine is cut to provide access to the bolts, but I'm not sure if this was a previous owner or not. It's so neatly done that I assumed it was factory done. The fabric covers the holes and I can pull it back enough to get access to the stanchion bolts. Sorry, I can't remember what the backing is, but I'm pretty sure mine have metal backing. Again- this could all be previous owner work.

FWIW, I have a love hate relationship with the stanchions on my boat. The life lines provide a nice measure of security for my kids, but every newcomer to my boat grabs the top of the stanchions to help dock it and I wince in pain for what that does to the deck each time.