Has anyone had trouble with the little screw that holds the mast ‘deck step’ in place in the top of the fin box? Mine seems to have seized and I suspect a bit of rust. The hex hole in the top of the screw is rounding off Allen keys - I’ve tried 2 now - and at this rate the screw might shear off rather than turn. Crazy when you think it’s a self tapper into a plastic tube also it should be really easy to loosen and tighten although it’s a pity the screw head isn’t bigger - it’s smaller than the one in the DF65 !!

Any suggestions??

Somebody in our club had this problem.  I think first he tried supergluing the allen key in place, but this didn't work so I think he drilled out the top of the screw, took the plate off then used pliers on the remainder of the screw.

 

8 hours ago, John Bennett said:

Somebody in our club had this problem.  I think first he tried supergluing the allen key in place, but this didn't work so I think he drilled out the top of the screw, took the plate off then used pliers on the remainder of the screw.

 

Thanks John,

Thats what I’m thinking. I do have a can of penetrating oil which I could try to crack whatever connection there is between the screw thread and plastic but it might be a case of drill the to off and then try pliers on what remains then a larger conventional self tapper.

Well I drilled off the screw head and removed the plate but could not remove the remains of the screw for love nor money so I ended up levering off the top half of the fin box - which I had securely sealed with silicon - and although I got the top off I also ended up with a 3cm split in the angle of the white hull where it goes down towards the bottom of the hull. New fin box ordered so I just hope that new silicon will also seal that split otherwise it’s tape and ultimately a new hull! I looked at the screw. It goes into a small plate which had two self tappers securing it onto the underside of the fin box top. The screw I was try to remove has a squared off end and I still can’t get it out!! I really don’t know why I couldn’t loosen or tighten it!!

So it turns out that it’s a captive nut and being mild steel this had rusted solid with the screw. New fin box top fitted and captive nut well greased before screw fitted and screw well greased to. Top of fin box installed sealing as well as possible the top-bottom join and with the deck using my favourite silicon - Fernox - so that will hopefully be okay. I intend to fill the 3 screw tubes in the top of the moulding with grease and will also cover them with small pieces of insulating tape. Once bitten…….