Mounting Railing

[HYPNAUTIC]

I have a 40' Tollycraft that has loose bow rail stanchions. The rail bases are mounted in areas that there is no possible way to access the nuts on the underside of the deck. Unless I want to move the fuel tanks, holding tank etc... Question is, what do you use to anchor down this loose and possibly dangerous rail system? Lag bolts and some kind of molly? Please advise!

(thread moved to fabrication forum where you should get more answers)

 

[PascalG]

big screws can work if you have no other choices... a better system would be to use toggle anchors, hyou can find them in marine grade (SS), the down side is that you have a drill a large hole so proper sealing becomes critical.

 

[JoeBTB]

Wow, I love Tollys, kind of surprised they did that to you.

Your first problem is going to be removing the old fasteners. If they're thru-bolted, you'll need to get a wrench on the underside just to remove them. If they're screws, there's a good possibility they're loose because the coring has softened or rotted. You'll need to repair that, maybe dig it out and replace with epoxy. Heavy screws and a good sealant like 3M 101 might be ok at that point, but definitely not preferable to bolts. Toggles might be ok, but you'll have a hard time sealing them, since you'll need to tighten them down from above, which can displace any sealant you put under the heads of the bolts.

 

[HYPNAUTIC]

I thought of the molly set up. I wasn't sure if anyone had luck with it. The only other avenue I have is to try to go through the vent hole somehow. I would have to cut a hole in the fiber glass clam shell on the inside (which funnels the air onto the vent hose)of the hull. If anyone has had to over come this problem please help.

Thanks,
HypNautic