Stanchion base repair - how to access?

[cvandaalen]

I am in a Geminia 105mc Cat, 2005. I have a damaged stanchion that cannot be repaired in place, needs to be removed repaired and/or replaced. How do I access the nuts holding the bolts down? I have removed the interior wall panel and I can see and access the nuts on the outside of the base (toward the water) but the other two nuts are obscured by the interior wall molded plastic. There must be a solution!?!?

[Fintry]

First are you certain that they are bolts? Many manufacturers use two bolts and two sheet metal screws to hold stanchion bases.


If you're sure they are bolts, I'd use an oscillating tool to cut straight in to make a small pocket around each bolt.

[Sailorman Ed]

Cvandaalen, I also have a 2005 Gem. if you tell me exactly which stanchion, I can take a pic for you as most of my interior is apart right now.
Ed

[catsketcher]

If you need to drill or cut the bolts out you can push the cut bolts out into the interior (where they hopefully will make no noise)

Then when you want to remount the stanchions you PULL the bolts up through the holes using some thin cotton thread. This assumes you will be able to get the cotton thread (with a tiny weight) down to somewhere you can attach a long bolt.

Of course you can't get to the head of the bolt to hold it when tightening, but you don't need to. You bought an extra long bolt, pulled it through the deck (it had a washer on its head) wriggled it through the hole, popped it through the stanchion and then GENTLY held the bottom of the bolt with vise grips whilst you put on the nyloc nut and washer. Then eventually the nut gets close to the gentle vice grips and so you then put the vice grips ON TOP of the nut and keep on tightening the nut. You can now tighten the vice grips because you don't care about the thread now. Tighten the nut right up and then cut the bolt end off and smooth over.

As long as you can get the cotton thread somewhere you can attach a bolt this method is easier than removing glass or bonded furniture.

cheers

Phil