Deck/Hull Hardware

[Ekea]

i want to reseal as much as i can of what goes through the boat. in doing so, i want to pull do deck cleats and the t-top legs among other things. are these screwed in, or through bolted with backing plates? if backing plates, any easy way to access? if no easy access, any recommendations on how to seal them up? id like to avoid having a boat with 37 access ports cut into it...

 

[DennisG01]

I don't have your boat, but you can usually figure out how to get to the backing nuts easily enough - meaning, you'd know exactly where they are supposed to be so once you look at things you can figure it out.

The best sealant for what you're talking about is butyl tape. But sealants like Life Caulk are awful darn good, too. Don't use an adhesive like 5200. Even Life Caulk (or 4200) are still quite strong and completely overkill as you don't need ANY adhesive here. Life Seal would be excellent without being overly adhesive.

Of more importance is HOW you go about doing the sealing, though.