Help with remounting leaning post

[Bergertime]

All,

I have a problem with my leaning post which is starting to become unstable and rocks as the current mounting is coming loose.  In addition a crack has developed in the deck on the outside of the left foot.  I am trying to come up with a way to remount the unit, add stability and compensated for the soft floor around it.  When I purchased the boat I knew there were some soft spots and eventually a deck replacement will prob be needed.  After some thought I was wondering if you all have any another suggestion that will achieve my goals and help hold the floor replacement off for a while.

My simple thoughts on how to fix.  Diagram below

1)   Remove leaning post.
2)   Fit two pieces of starboard that are at least 3-4 inches larger than the feet all the way around.
3)   Secure the starboard to the deck with four bolts with washers underneath and seal with 5200
4)   Remount the leaning post with through bolts on top of the starboard and through the floor.  
5)   Seal holes

Simple diagram:




Would there be a better way of doing this?  I am fairly handy but I was trying to keep it simple, nice looking and effective.  Thoughts?


Thanks in advance,

Bruce

[wingtime]

without a doubt that will help spread out the load over a larger area.  you need to address the crack in the deck to prevent further water intrusion into the core.  Bob will know more but I'm pretty certain your deck is cored with end grain balsa.

[fitz73222]

The issue is going to be what you can use to bolt the assembly back down with. You're going to need at least 2" of clearance underneath to use stainless T bolts. If your outboard mounting location isn't on top of a stringer you should be OK. If not, I recommend heavy duty well nuts to secure it back down to the floor. In either scenario, you're only as good as the core; otherwise it's just going to crush the remaing material as you tighten up the hardware.

[Georgie]

I always feel like the black sheep of the family when I mention this   :afro: , but if you're looking for an easy fix that'll last at least a few years (unless you regularly boat in 6 ft seas or take out the Miami Dolphins offensive line ) you can probably inject your existing decking w/rotstop 2 part epoxy from Fiberglass Coatings and have it regain most of the strength you want for structural reinstallation of your leaning post (assuming you DO use fender washers or T-bolts on the re-install).  I've used it several times and the ONLY problem I've had after 5 plus years is getting the epoxy to accept a gelcoat finish.  Structurally, it's AMAZING at solidifying weakened/soft decks without requiring full deck removal.  It appears to have a considerable amount of both bonding strength and compression resistance when injected into a compromised wood core deck.  I'd love to see the condition of yours to get an idea of whether or not the technique I've used might work, but as long as you have at least some way to plug any holes in the underside of your decking so the epoxy doesn't drain straight through, it should work admirably.

For what it's worth, I would not use the starboard as it is relatively soft, will encourage flexing, and probably won't be able to hold much more than your decking can hold with new oversized washers/bolts.

2 cents.  Good luck BT!