Every bolt through a cored deck is a path for water into the core. Stanchions, cleats and genoa tracks take the highest loads, so they work their bedding loose first.
What it looks like
Practical Sailor calls improperly mounted stanchion and pulpit bases a major cause of gelcoat cracks radiating from the hardware. Once the deck is dirty, they show as tiny spider webs a little darker than the gelcoat round them. They come from uneven loads on the fastenings or from nothing under the deck to spread the load, and Practical Sailor notes some boats leave the builder with them already started.
The Nepean Sailing Club's rebedding guide says many wet decks start with hardware fastened badly at the factory: screws through the top skin only, so water from a leak stays in the core. It recommends starting with the most loaded fittings, such as stanchion bases and genoa tracks, and checking round them with a moisture meter.
How to check
- Moisture meter round every base, comparing with dry deck away from fittings.
- Load each stanchion by hand and pull on cleats. Movement means the fastenings or the core have gone.
- Gelcoat round each base for spider cracks.
- Below for backing plates, washers only, staining or drips on the deckhead.