boatrboy
Well-Known Member
I have been chasing a water leak on my new boat. I see water drips under the hatch hinge mounting plate in the bilge. My plan is to remove the bolts and lift the hinge at the swim platform and clean and seal both sides… However, the nuts are in the bilge. That means
As I see it I need to:
1) crawl into the bilge
2) have my buddy lower the hatch while I’m down there
3) loosen the nuts while my buddy holds the screwdriver up top
4) have him flip the hatch up, clean and reseal while I’m down there.
5) hold the three bolts while I attach the nuts below.
So - what is freaking me out? What if something goes wrong - how will I get out? I realize the cylinders have the horsepower but it seems there could be too much load for one hinge. What if I have to glass something and need time for it to set up?
I am thinking maybe weld some welding wire to the end of a bolt so I can feed it up and and have buddy slip a nut over the wire and tighten on the bolt. Then I can get out with temp nuts and bolts holding the hinge back on. I can then loosen the nuts from the top and drop the bolt back into the bilge while holding the wire. This will allow me to make a repair. After that obviously reinstall everything as it was.
Any thoughts? Will the hatch drop at all (1/8” or so) once the bolts are loose?
Thanks in advance - Mark
As I see it I need to:
1) crawl into the bilge
2) have my buddy lower the hatch while I’m down there
3) loosen the nuts while my buddy holds the screwdriver up top
4) have him flip the hatch up, clean and reseal while I’m down there.
5) hold the three bolts while I attach the nuts below.
So - what is freaking me out? What if something goes wrong - how will I get out? I realize the cylinders have the horsepower but it seems there could be too much load for one hinge. What if I have to glass something and need time for it to set up?
I am thinking maybe weld some welding wire to the end of a bolt so I can feed it up and and have buddy slip a nut over the wire and tighten on the bolt. Then I can get out with temp nuts and bolts holding the hinge back on. I can then loosen the nuts from the top and drop the bolt back into the bilge while holding the wire. This will allow me to make a repair. After that obviously reinstall everything as it was.
Any thoughts? Will the hatch drop at all (1/8” or so) once the bolts are loose?
Thanks in advance - Mark