How are late 90’s bowrails installed?

Z-Worthy

Z-Worthy

Active Member
Jun 20, 2014
457
Sandusky, OH
Boat Info
2002 Sunseeker 44 Camargue
Engines
450hp Cat 3208s
I have a 1997 400 Sundancer and I’m trying to re-bed the deck hardware due to concerns about minor moisture intrusion caught via survey last summer. The windlass, anchor roller, and hatch were very easy to remove and the core was dry on those areas. So now I’m hoping to find a way to loosen the hardware for the forward-most bowrail attachments without removing the entire headliner. Does anyone have any suggestions? Photographs from previous jobs? Any advice and/or tips would be appreciated. One old salt suggesting cutting a tiny slit in the headliner, removing the hardware, then sewing the slit back closed. But I need to know what the hardware looks like before I make that move.
 
Press/feel around under the headliner where you think they are. You should be able to feel a slight void where the nuts are located. Then cut a small slit as mentioned above and peel back the headliner to expose the nuts. After rebedding/sealing , brush small amount of contact adhesive around the slit area, let flash off, then reinstall material, you shouldn't need to sew if you make a nice clean razor slit.
All bets are off if you have a vinyl headliner as opposed to the usual cloth type.
 
How is the hardware oriented? Is there a pan-head screw going up through the cabin into the railing? Or a washer and a nut? I’d like to see what I’m dealing with before I make irreversible changes to the headliner.
 
Are the heads of the screws on the outside of your boat? My stanchion doesn’t have any exposed hardware at all; just a small flange around the base. So I’m stumped as to how it’s installed because it can’t be through bolted unless there’s a bolt welded to the underside of that flange. ‍♂️
 
Z-Worthy said:
I have a 1997 400 Sundancer and I’m trying to re-bed the deck hardware due to concerns about minor moisture intrusion caught via survey last summer. The windlass, anchor roller, and hatch were very easy to remove and the core was dry on those areas. So now I’m hoping to find a way to loosen the hardware for the forward-most bowrail attachments without removing the entire headliner. Does anyone have any suggestions? Photographs from previous jobs? Any advice and/or tips would be appreciated. One old salt suggesting cutting a tiny slit in the headliner, removing the hardware, then sewing the slit back closed. But I need to know what the hardware looks like before I make that move.
Click to expand...
Are you sure they are in the headliner? I would think the bolts would be accessible through perimeter storage cabinets closer to the walls of the boat. Can you post some pictures?

Also yours might be studs on the fiange
 
Last edited:
Express 390 said:
Are you sure they are in the headliner? I would think the bolts would be accessible through perimeter storage cabinets closer to the walls of the boat. Can you post some pictures?

Also yours might be studs on the fiange
Click to expand...

I’m referring to the bowrails that run down the top of the cabin, not the stanchions around the rub rail. Sorry for the confusion.
 
The center rails have a nut and washer on bottom. The nut is bedded in filler. You have to remover the headliner and grind out all the filler around the nuts, remove all the nuts and then remove the rails. Rebed, refill, sand, smooth and reinstall headliners. You'll also have to remove the window trim and some cabinetry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,193
Messages
1,428,278
Members
61,104
Latest member
Three Amigos
Back
Top