labguy
Petty Officer 3rd Class
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2008
- Messages
- 87
Hey guys,
I figured out a fix for re-installing boarding steps and figured I would share with everyone in case someone else has or may have the same problem. My boats boarding steps mounting holes were getting wallered (southern slang) out, so I figured I would relocated the ladder so they would not break loose when someone was trying to board in the summer. After cutting the bolts and removing the steps, I quickly realized that there would be no way I could re-install the ladder the way it was orignally installed. The ladder was bolted through the swim deck with nuts inside the hollow of the swim deck. With there being no way that I could reach all all the way into the hollow of the swim deck to hold the nut while someone cranked the bolt, I sat and thought about an alternative. Instead of using machine bolts and nuts, I bought self tapping galvanized bolts and after sliding a 17" 2x6 into the space, cranked the bolt through the ladder mounts, through the swim deck and into the 2x6 underneath the swim deck. Worked great and seems more secure than the original way. Patched up the old holes with fiberglass patch kit and bam. Fixed!!!
I figured out a fix for re-installing boarding steps and figured I would share with everyone in case someone else has or may have the same problem. My boats boarding steps mounting holes were getting wallered (southern slang) out, so I figured I would relocated the ladder so they would not break loose when someone was trying to board in the summer. After cutting the bolts and removing the steps, I quickly realized that there would be no way I could re-install the ladder the way it was orignally installed. The ladder was bolted through the swim deck with nuts inside the hollow of the swim deck. With there being no way that I could reach all all the way into the hollow of the swim deck to hold the nut while someone cranked the bolt, I sat and thought about an alternative. Instead of using machine bolts and nuts, I bought self tapping galvanized bolts and after sliding a 17" 2x6 into the space, cranked the bolt through the ladder mounts, through the swim deck and into the 2x6 underneath the swim deck. Worked great and seems more secure than the original way. Patched up the old holes with fiberglass patch kit and bam. Fixed!!!
