Creaking deck cover driving me crazy!
I bought a 2018 Gulfstream 232 in 2020. Last season the deck cover over the gas tank started to creak when you step on it. The noise is maddening! Has anyone experienced this problem and found a solution? In the newer Gradys they do not screw down that cover instead they fasten it with a epoxy product called Plexus MA 300. If the Plexus fails, the cover moves and rubs against the deck and makes a terrible creaking noise. I have researched this problem with local marinas and fiberglass repair shops. They tell me that they have seen this happen on a number of Gradys. Apparently, there are two schools of thought for the fix. One is to remove all the caulking around the cover and apply a small amount of Plexus near where it came detached. One shop tried solving the problem by reapplying Plexus told me they had repeated failures. Each time the caulking had to be removed then reapplied adding more labor dollars to the job. The second method is to remove the caulking, somehow cut out any remaining attached sections of the Plexus so the cover can be removed, (easier said than done apparently). Sand the underside of the cover and the deck of any residual Plexus. Shim the area that the deck cover sits on and screw the deck cover down (as Grady did before they made this change for esthetic reasons). I am trying to find out how often this separation has occurred so I can decide which way I should have the problem addressed by the fiberglass specialist in my area. I asked this question of a Grady Customer service rep in an e-mail with a video of the noise but did not receive a reply. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
I bought a 2018 Gulfstream 232 in 2020. Last season the deck cover over the gas tank started to creak when you step on it. The noise is maddening! Has anyone experienced this problem and found a solution? In the newer Gradys they do not screw down that cover instead they fasten it with a epoxy product called Plexus MA 300. If the Plexus fails, the cover moves and rubs against the deck and makes a terrible creaking noise. I have researched this problem with local marinas and fiberglass repair shops. They tell me that they have seen this happen on a number of Gradys. Apparently, there are two schools of thought for the fix. One is to remove all the caulking around the cover and apply a small amount of Plexus near where it came detached. One shop tried solving the problem by reapplying Plexus told me they had repeated failures. Each time the caulking had to be removed then reapplied adding more labor dollars to the job. The second method is to remove the caulking, somehow cut out any remaining attached sections of the Plexus so the cover can be removed, (easier said than done apparently). Sand the underside of the cover and the deck of any residual Plexus. Shim the area that the deck cover sits on and screw the deck cover down (as Grady did before they made this change for esthetic reasons). I am trying to find out how often this separation has occurred so I can decide which way I should have the problem addressed by the fiberglass specialist in my area. I asked this question of a Grady Customer service rep in an e-mail with a video of the noise but did not receive a reply. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
