I was taught to keep the FRP temp. down to where I could lay a hand on it at least briefly. Slow warming is better than too high a single-point of heat.
Watching anxiously for updates on this, since it is something I, myself would like to get done. Who knows what lurks under the sea... hood?I still haven't been able to remove the sea hood yet. Got all the screws out and tried cutting the sealant around the edges. Probably needs some more digging, scraping, etc.
Well, I do!Who knows what lurks under the sea... hood?
Not sure if this will work for you, but I have used this method to install removable bolts in a deck with success:The sea hood is unmade!
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It took a bottle and a half of Anti-Bond, which I picked up at a local boatyard chandlery (the DeBond Marine Formula is still on it's way). The bottles are very small at 1.5oz and pricey at $25 each. I still have a few bolts to dislodge which are holding the traveler track. And then I need to start reviewing how to build mounts for the raft cradle.
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Indeed you are correct. I am very old and getting more so. Faster.
Nice work. Now, will you through bolt the hood back on to the deck, or use the original wood screws (if that is what you found)?
Not sure if this will work for you, but I have used this method to install removable bolts in a deck with success:
1. Make a backing plate (I generally use discarded fiberglass in the yard, but have used wood) and embed (or surface mount them if you have room) the nuts in the backing plate material after you have the holes drilled and filled to prevent rot.
2. Goop the backing plate and the holes with West 303 Adhesive filler (this is the stuff they have used to secure winches on racing boats) and make sure the threads of the nuts and the bolts are lathered in mold release wax (any paste wax will work).
3. Fasten the whole thing and leave it. You will need to dry fit everything because you need to be sure that everything will go together when you slather it with epoxy and filler. Just a word of caution; 303 is marvelous stuff and is ridiculously strong--but it cannot be sanded much because it is so hard. But the deck will go before anything fastened with it and I am guessing that is what you want with the liferaft.
You will then be able to remove the cradle (or whatever) and put the bolts back in with some sealant (though you can actually cut threads in this epoxy filler if it is properly mixed) and have a water tight seal.
I have done this for a deck mount dinghy rack, an outboard bracket, and davit installations. Gives you maximum strength and water tight seal and the ability to remove the bracket if you choose to do so.
While you have the sea hood off, you might consider replacing those hatch stops. I found one of the flanges had broken off and the piece was no longer functioning as a stop. They are just scrap pieces of rubrail. I used some small pieces of Starboard I had lying around.the companionway hatch stops