44 EB cockpit gate repair

[gregarious]

I need to open up the gate to through bolt the hinges because all the wood or sheet metal screws are not holding. There is a seam and a gasket so I assume this can be done easily? I am sure there are previous threads but my browsing is awful: never returns any hits. Thanks in advance.

 

[gregarious]

After no replies, I just took it off and prised off the back, which turns out to be a vinyl covered piece of ply with plastic screws which push into the plywood frame of the gate itself. So all was rotted after 17 years. Why it is plywood exposed to the outdoors seems a reasonable question. I hope there are no more such parts. Anyway, I ground out the wood where the hinge screws go and replaced it with a piece of acrylic fastened in place with glass fiber bondo n both sides of the trough I created. Clearly wont last forever but belter than plywood.