1989 Aft cleat

[30CarverLI]

I have a 38ft 1989 Carver Aft MY and am trying to find out how to access my aft cleats (especially the port one) which have loosened up and I want to reseal and then tighten down before I damage my gel coat.

Thanks Dave

[mjk1040]

Well Dave, if they are screwed down, you may have to remove them, epoxy the screw holes, re-drill them the correct size and screw them back down. Now, if they are bolted down, which I doubt, but may be, and you can't access them from the aft cabin ceiling, I would suggest imbedding flush mount speed nuts. Have you tried just tighten them? Maybe able to reseal and tighten with a little epoxy in the screw holes. Hope I helped you out. Let us know what you find out. Mike

[30CarverLI]

Thanks Mike, I assumed they were bolted and not just screwed because they are a little lose. I have tied to tighten them but they just spin which make me think the bolt is rusty. I was trying to avoid taking the ceiling cover down but that make be my only choice. Thanks for the quick response, I'll let you know what I find.
Dave

[SplashyLady]

Carver made a selling/advertising point that cleats had backing plates and are through-bolted back in the 80s. So I would guess you have bolts and a plate too. Good news - it's solid. Bad news - hard to tighten when they get loose.

[Viper]

I haven't looked but I suspect access is gained from the section protruding from the ceiling over the bed on the port side fore to aft. It also serves as a race for the shore power cabling and lighting assuming you're talking about a 3807. There is a gap between the casing and the side where curtains and rope lighting run (in my boat). The ceiling in that area is carpeted. If you feel around the aft port corner while pushing up, you may feel the nuts behind the carpet if they are in that gap, otherwise they are in the casing as I described above. I've never had that section removed so I'm not sure of how to remove it but it may simply be held in place by the Xmas tree plastic fasteners in which case a good tug in some key areas would do the trick.

[30CarverLI]

Thanks for all the reply's a few things I can check or do.

[Midnight Sun]

New to Carver but not new to boats. I have never seen a cleat screwed down so I will assume Carver has them bolted through also. You will find either a fender washer or backing plate on the other side and normally a nylock nut. Time to rip out some ceiling, usually easy once you find the attachment points.