Carver 356 (remove deck box)

2

27boat27

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
RO Number
32563
Messages
73
I am investigating soft spots in my swim platform and want to remove the deck box that is installed to make sure I see everything. It looks like the box is in two parts and caulked together with some screws inside the box that need to be removed. Once that is done I assume the screws holding it to the swim platform will be revealed. Has anyone removed their deck box and if so do you have any pointers. Thanks.
 
I called Carver and asked them the question above. They really couldn't provide any information about removing the box and said it could be a dealer add-on as well. My deck box is like a box within a box. It appears as though the inner box is caulked into the outer shell. The inner portion will need to be removed to reveal the method used to attach the box to the platform and to the bulkhead. I may get to start this on Saturday and will try to take some photos.
 
So I was able to get to the boat last evening and was able to remove the deckbox. Once I was able to break the seal between the two pieces, I was able to lift out the inside portion and expose the method of attachment. It had a total of 6 self tapping screws 1.25 inches long tapped into the aft bulkhead on each side of the box. There were 10-12 .5 inch screws tapped into the deck of the swim platform. There was not a single shred of evidence that any type of adhesive or sealant was used for any of these 16 punctures. Once I had the box removed I began tapping the deck with a wood handle to identify voids and delamination. Fortunately it looks like there was no intrusion around the screws except for one. This happenwd to be almost right underneath the interior drain hole on the inside of the box. So all water that gets in the box drains out through this hole onto the deck below where the unsealed screw goes into the swim platform. Delamination started there and radiates about 20-24 inches from the screw hole toward the back of the boat and a couple inched forward. I have often noticed a little trail of water coming from that spot. I believe this happens because the water tank in a full state causes my boat to have a slight list to the port side. This means all water from the deck box runs to the port side of the deckbox and out the drain hole on that side. I tapped all around the grab handle in the swim platform and detected nothing but solid taps. I think I will remove it anyway as it looks like a problem waiting to happen as others mentioned in other threads about soft spots on swim platform. Anyway, this weekend, I am going to cut the platform open and dig out the rot. Since this involves cutting through the non-skid pattern, I think a factory looking repair would be tough to achieve. At this point once the rot is gone, I am going to ask the fiberglass guy to get the platform flat again and then order a synthetic teek cover for the entire platform. It will dress the boat up a bit and avoid a very costly attempt to reproduce the patterned non-skid on the platform. I took a few pictures of the removal process and will try to upload those and a few more as I go completely through the process.
 
I am not sure if it was a good day or a bad day. Good because all the wet balsa is now gone, but bad because the wet balsa was never ending. Once I opened the platform, it was soaking wet near every screw hole that was created when the deck box was installed without sealing the holes in the deck. Here are some photos of what it looks like now:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r12lzql7ge002tz/2014-05-03 13.17.08.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x1lfgrvox0aaqz1/2014-05-03%2015.09.17.jpg

Removing the box:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pi6n7o1h40r4oip/2014-05-01 19.41.07.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4g7mmqna6h13d2/2014-05-01%2019.48.33.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ezfqt0jybkxv5s6/2014-05-01 19.48.46.jpg
 
Wow, that's a large area. Let us know what you do to repair, and the steps along the way. I installed a dock box on my swim platform simply by screwing four 1/4" wood screw hex bolts with lots of 5200 at every layer; at the screw into the platform, raised the box 1/4" using washers with 5200 on either side, and 5200 at the bolt head inside the box itself. So far no signs of water intrusion and the box has held tightly, but I've heard about others suggesting re-doing the bolt securing into the platform using epoxy instead, before signs of trouble develop.
 
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