the aft cleats which are mounted on the bulwark have worked themselves loose

[SteveK]

Okay, so here we go then:

On my 1976 36 classic, the aft cleats which are mounted on the bulwark have worked themselves loose. The screws just turn in their holes.
Someone posted to a thread on the "old site" of a very detailed running report with pictures as they undertook this same project.

I am looking for resurrected or new knowledge for reference to assist with the planning and execution of rebedding both SB and PS cleats.

In anticipation, Thank you

Most likely wood rot. You will need to remove and assess that to start. I think they are lag bolts. Maybe drill through bolt and nut.

 

[Xlantic]

The bulwarks in the Grand Banks woodies are made by stacking lengths of plywood and then screwing the together with vertical fasteners. So, made out of plywood, these bulwarks often rot in places. (I have found virtually no rot in solid wood in my boat but lots in plywood.) As such, I would agree with SteveK that is likely the problem.

The good news is that rot in wood is relatively easy to fix. You should probably go all around the bulwarks tapping to see if you have soft wood behind the paint.

For rebedding metal hardware, in order to prevent water ingression followed by rot, I like using butyl or some other non-hardening sealer such as Dolphinite and bevels in the mounting holes as described (at length) here:

https://marinehowto.com/bed-it-tape/

 

[koliver]

IIRC, GB 36 changed from wood to Fibreglass construction in 1974. At least the 1976 GB 36 that a friend had for years was glass.
https://waggonerguide.com/grand-banks-the-beginning/

 

[SteveK]

Xlantic, do you know how the built up plywood is attached to the deck, or does it go below deck. Asking because I was considering cutting out the access/entry points. Not sure if this would affect vertical integrity on either side.

 

[SteveK]

IIRC, GB 36 changed from wood to Fibreglass construction in 1974. At least the 1976 GB 36 that a friend had for years was glass.
https://waggonerguide.com/grand-banks-the-beginning/

Correct, missed that. I wonder if the bulwark is solid glass, foam or wood core.
Then remove bolts and glass fill the holes and then reattach?

 

[Xlantic]

Xlantic, do you know how the built up plywood is attached to the deck, or does it go below deck. Asking because I was considering cutting out the access/entry points. Not sure if this would affect vertical integrity on either side.

Sorry, they are not plywood strips, they are solid teak strips (my bad).

The strips or planks are about a inch thick. They are attached from above with large bronze fasteners going through the deck and on to the deck beams. In between deck beams smaller fasteners are used to attach the gunwales to the top hull plank as well.

So the gunwales are built in-situ, from the bottom-up: the first bulwark strip is attached to the boat and the following strips are successively attached.

This sketch might help visualise things:

 

[Xlantic]

Regarding what the gunwales add to the strutural integrity of the boat I am not qualified to say but others have made openings in it:

 

[SteveK]

Thanks. IF I go ahead with this I will cut out the transom portion to swim grid. Less vertical span interrupted. Plywood build on edge would not have retained stability when cut.

 

[Xsbank]

This boat is not a woody so it's likely that the transom is hollow?

If so, it's more likely that the fasteners are bolts that go though a backing plate and as I am really stretching my memory, the backing plate may be steel?

Try and figure out how the shipyard installed the fittings then get your 10 year old grandson to get in there with a wrench...