Minor teak repair - spi pole holder

[RJJ]

Hi folks, struggling to post photos but will try to explain the advice I am looking for, please...

Aft Spinnaker pole holder on teak deck is a bit Mickey Mouse, it turns out. It's a teak plinth with a semicircular cutout on top; the pole sits in it and is secured by a webbing strap. The whole thing is (was) secured by two self-tappers that just went straight into the teak deck and no further, i.e. about 5mm deep. The deck itself is composite (foam sandwich) hence, I guess, why previous owner decided to cut a corner and not drill into it.

Surprisingly the whole thing seems to have lasted a few years, however the self-tappers have now come out, as you'd expect, and the plinth is detached.

So problem 1 is reasonably straightforward - to dry, protect and fill the screw-holes so the teak doesn't deteriorate more. If I reuse the plinth it doesn't need to be particularly beautiful as the deck will be covered.

Problem 2 is rehousing the spinnaker pole - either reattach the plinth but properly this time, or leave it out and use a proper spinnaker pole-end cage which will should have the benefit of preventing snagged ropes on the end (which I believe caused the failure in the first place).

Option 2a -
- reuse the plinth, using epoxy to glue straight to the deck as well as replacing the self-tappers. Easy, but risks being inelegant, and (if it fails again) will leave a horrid mess on the teak.

Option 2b
- reuse the plinth, but screw or bolt properly through the deck. Requires filling to secure and protect the composite deck. The challenge being that the underside of the deck is poor for access. There's no removable headlining, it would require cutting out a chunk of GRP in the corner of the forward heads. So filling the composite deck and also making good inside - both of which will be challenging work for yours truly.

Option 2c - pole-end cage, proper job like. Costs about £75 quid (which I would do) but has same challenges to fit as 2b.

...any other options welcome, and thank you in advance.

 

[Keith-i]

Would a 'softer' adhesive such as Sika or silicone perhaps bond it in place in a slightly less permanent fashion?

 

[doug748]

The last thing I would do is drill the deck for this sort of thing.

I should re glue and screw it and see how it goes. Clean the wood back and wipe with solvent to remove the oil and try epoxy. It might be possible to make up a simple chock for the end of the pole to prevent lines snagging?

 

[Concerto]

If it were my boat I would carefully drill each screw hole into the teak and upper layer of glassfibre with a 6mm drill. Insert a small alum key or bent nail into a drill and spin this in the hole to break down some of the core. Vacuum out any loose bits. Tape over the teak deck area and open each hole. Epoxy fill the holes. It may take more than you expect, but fill to the teak level. As it sets remove the tape and the teak will be clean. This will strengthen the deck and then drill in a pilot hole to a set depth and fix the spinnaker pole holder with self taping screws and some butyl rubber on the underside of the holder for a watertight seal.

 

[PCUK]

That sounds pretty good, and not expensive!

 

[RJJ]

Thanks, makes sense and I shall try to follow your advice! I'd be jiggered without this forum.

 

[Concerto]

Thanks, makes sense and I shall try to follow your advice! I'd be jiggered without this forum.

I am just surprised no one else suggested this method as it is straight forward and relatively easy to do by anyone with basic DIY skills. It will be permanent, waterproof and keep water out of the deck core. I had to do a similar repair on my foredeck as the central beam was sounding the glassfibre had delaminated from the core. I used about 4 times the volume of epoxy to what I expected, but the result has proved to be permanent and has stiffened the deck. Luckily my decks are painted, so you would never tell it has been fixed.