32-2 steering pulley mount board rotten

[EricD.]

The board which the steering cable pulleys mounts to was rotted out to the point that the pulleys were pulling through the board. the board was originally bonded to the bottom side cockpit soles, I had no interest in removing what was left and bonding on a new board. I installed a 12x16 1/4 steel plate instead, bolted to the aft bolts of the tiller mount, and secured to the aft side with around 30 1/4x1 lag bolts (possibly overkil).

 

[Kenneth K]

I like the steel plate idea, and 1/4" should be plenty hefty.

I would still want to know where the water is coming from and what other damage it may have caused (esp. in regards to the cockpit floor, binnacle, and upper rudder bearing). Did any of the material you lagged into show signs of water intrusion?

 

[EricD.]

The water was coming in from both the traveler mount screws, the pedestal base, and the upper rudder mount. most of the damage was isolated to the area between fwd and aft cockpits. Does not appear to be much rot in the core. resealed all holes. Some of the lag bolts nearest the open span between soles didn't bite but with near thirty bolts and the fact that tension from the cables pull up on the plate against the soles not down I feel confident in the mount. if in the future this proves not to be true, I over drilled several holes for 3/8 through bolts.