Bertram33 User Forum

My swim platform is through bolted on the top fasteners above the water line, but is wood screwed to the stringers beneath the water line. One of the fasteners has become loose and while I hit it with some filler today, I'm wondering if I should rig a way to through bolt. Very un-Bertramish but I guess no one is perfect.

Anyone else have trouble with theirs ?

Mine is bolted above and below the waterline, Rick. It has brackets that are bedded to the transom, then the stanchions are pinned to those brackets making the platform removable.

Thanks Joe,

Yes, mine is clevis pinned for easy removal too but they must have re-thought the wood screw thing by the time they got to your year.

Rick, I had a loose lower bracket on the port inside strut. When I installed it one side was thru bolted (bolt broke at head) the other was a self tapping screw into the stringer. Will use a much longer screw this time to make sure it gets into the wood. I think a mooring ball that was too close caused it last summer.

Thanks Bill,

Upon further investigation it appears that one of the wood screws is going into the stringer (which is still solid), the other was going into the rudder deck, which has rotted out against the transom (next winter's project!). So I'm going to clear that out and through bolt with a piece of starboard that I have.

It's always in a place that's hard to get to !