F21 Traveler Rail.. broken bolts

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Teke's Pride
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Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 2:56 am
Location: Lake Guntersville, AL
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Re: F21 Traveler Rail.. broken bolts

Post by Teke's Pride »

I had to replace mine about a year after buying my boat. To remove the old bolt, get a 12" legnth of threaded rod the same diameter as the existing bolt/barrel nut. Gently insert it into the hole from inside the cabin. Use a mallet or hamer and gently but firmly tap upwards to break the old caulking seal and push the head of the old bolt clear of the track then use pliars and pull the old bolt out by the head. You may need to also use the pliars to remove the threaded rod from below.

REMOVE ALL OF THE OLD BOLTS AND BARREL NUTS! If one has failed, the rest are not far behind. Remove the track. Clean the bottom of the track and the top of the cabin under the track. Inspect the holes for signs of core rot. If no rot, place a beed of caulk around each bolt hole; place a dalop of caulk over each hole; carefully replace the track; imeadiatly insert the new bolts through the caulked holes and, inserting the barrel nuts (with washers) tighten from below. Tightening will take two people as even at 6' 3" I could not comfortably hold a screwdriver topside and reach the outboard nut inside.
Clark Myers
Teke's Pride
F21 #345

Black Finn
F40 AC CK #41

Browns Creek Sailing Association
Guntersville, AL
http://www.youtube.com/LambdaZetaTeke

Jesse
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2016 3:56 pm
Location: Buzzards Bay, MA & Montreal, QC

Re: F21 Traveler Rail.. broken bolts

Post by Jesse »

Thanks Clark.

You say that you held the screwdriver topside and attached the bolt from below (inside cabin). That makes perfect sense to me as bolting it all together will hold the traveler rail tight. Just out of curiosity, was the original configuration of your screws with the head on top and nuts/washers on the inside of the cabin? In my boat, there appears to be a set of screws going from inside the cabin out into the rail, meaning that the screw heads (most of which broke off) are inside the boat. Then, there is another set of screws on the outside of the rail that screw (i assume) into the deck. There are no nuts on any of these screws (from what I can see).

Best wishes
Jesse

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Teke's Pride
Posts: 219
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 2:56 am
Location: Lake Guntersville, AL
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Re: F21 Traveler Rail.. broken bolts

Post by Teke's Pride »

There are actually screw heads on both the bolts and the barrel nuts (I miss spoke when I typed wrench).
Image

And yes, the washers go inside the cabin.
Clark Myers
Teke's Pride
F21 #345

Black Finn
F40 AC CK #41

Browns Creek Sailing Association
Guntersville, AL
http://www.youtube.com/LambdaZetaTeke

hkowalczyk
Posts: 42
Joined: Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:55 am

Re: F21 Traveler Rail.. broken bolts

Post by hkowalczyk »

Image

This is what they look like inside. It looks like a screw but it's actually a barrel nut. Maybe that is what's confusing you?
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