Coaming (splash guard)

danpal

Well-Known Member
Since this has been a recent topic, I figured I'd to see if anyone has repaired the same kind of damage
IMG_5507.JPG
IMG_5508.JPG
IMG_5509.JPG
.

The port side of the coaming must have caught on something for the previous owner. The coaming was pulled from the deck on three of the rivets but the rest of the coaming is on securely. I'd rather not remove the coaming completely. Has anyone else had the same issue?
 
Oh, yeah. All of mine on port side are pulled. My guru says to use "riv" nuts, which means I have to pull the remaining attachment hardware and locate the special riv-nut tool to set them. Instead, I think I'll epoxy some already-made fiberglass squares—cut to fit inside the intended hole, and drill 'em.
.
 
Better than mine. I have one where the Splash Guard was ripped off, then the owner
moved it forward drilling new holes and leaving the old holes open. Then the Splash
Guard was ripped of again. I ended up fiber glassing the holes closed. Riv-nut tools
are not expensive, you can get them at Harbor Freight. If the above riv-nut pulled through
than the fiberglass is cracked.
 
Hmmm, I thought the coamings were held on with wood screws into a wood strip...

Zip deck.jpg


Drill out the old rivets, try a 3/16 drill bit or bump up to a 1/4 inch. The rivet barrels will fall into the hull, the ones on the outer edge will be captive in the foam block. In order to put in a new rivet in those outer holes take a Phiilips screwdriver and push them further down into the foam.

Buy new rivets from a Sunfish parts house. If you decide to go the rivnut route you will be out about $100 for the tool and the bag of 100 rivets you'll have to buy.

Then you have to assess whether you can get away with just putting in new rivets and having them expand a little bit more to fill where the old rivet broke out. You only need enough grip to hold the coaming secure. Give it a shot and see what happens. I have started putting a blob of sealant over the hole before installing the rivet, hoping to reduce trickles there. ALcort put sealant around the rivnut, when AMF changed to rivets the sealant went away.

Sunfish Coaming and Rivets
 
I'm seeing an inspection port where you could easily glue some backing blocks for either self tapping into wood or machine screws tapped into alum plates. If foam is in the way, cut it out with a steak knife, etc.
Or fill holes and redrill.
 
Don't cut out the foam. Unless your arms are extraordinarily long, you can't reach out there anyway from an inspection port.

The coaming is not structural, I subscribe to the KISS principle when dealing with the coaming. You could probably run a piece of fiberglass across the holes the 5200 the coaming to the deck :)
 
The coaming doesn't seem structural in a major way, but when mine was taken off and put back on, it certainly added some rigidity to the deck in that area.
If your arms can't reach...you can use "tongs" and a backer block/plate of some sort with an epoxy dab, that you can for sure set in place as a backing block of your preference. I put stuff in place many times with areas I couldn't physically reach as well. Try holding a 5" hole saw on a 1/2 drill, at arms length...with ONE arm... to create "access" ;-D
I cut out the foam where my traveler bridle straps attach, when I went in thru the bottom, to affix an aluminum backer plate to the underside of the deck. I just cut out enough to get where I needed to.
Lastly, you could probably use plain marine silicone if not 3M 4200, that isn't so aggressive as an adhesive, to "glue" your coaming back on. 5200 in my past experiences get used on bronze thru hulls, hull to deck joints, keel attachments, etc. Otherwise if you've made a good physical bond, you'll end up tearing the top layers of fiberglass, should removal ever happen in the future.
 
The coaming is structural in that it reduces the amount of hull flex. Usually it's the two
or three screws on each end of the coaming that pull out due to the stress. The hull seams
opposite the coaming ends also have a tendency to to pull apart due to the flexing. It would
have been better if the coaming was a molded part of the hull like the Scorpian but we
got what we got. That being said I would think if you're going to use pop rivets make
sure you get the ones that have the washers. How you would reach to get the washers
on the outter most rivets I don't know. I can see why Rivnuts are preferable from a structural
point of view.
 
Fill the old hole with your choice of polyester/epoxy goop, then redrill and fasten with tri-grip pop rivets. These rivets resist pullout well & install with a regular pop rivet tool:
https://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-alias=sporting&field-keywords=Tri-Fold+rivets
Good item! :cool:

Alas, the holes are much bigger than the "reach" these are designed for. :(

Maybe I can jam a batten through the foam, then put resin through the holes to secure the batten to the underside. Drill after curing? :)

.
 
Thanks everyone! Sounds like the consensus is that I have to drill out the old rivets and install new. I was hoping that someone had figured out a way to just repair the 3 rivets on the end.
 
I think you can drill out 3 and repair 3. Simplest approach. It either works or it doesn't, you don't lose anything by trying, except maybe buying extra rivets, which isn't a bad idea anyway.
 
I have to replace a coaming for a vanguard Sunfish. What is the best method to do this? I have an inspection port just behind the existing broken coaming. I can drill out the rivets but the last three are not accessable because of the foam. Should I use stainless bolts for the ones I can get to and use rivnuts for the last three? Or should I just put 5200 under the coaming to secure the ends to the deck?
 
I have to replace a coaming for a vanguard Sunfish. What is the best method to do this? I have an inspection port just behind the existing broken coaming. I can drill out the rivets but the last three are not accessable because of the foam. Should I use stainless bolts for the ones I can get to and use rivnuts for the last three? Or should I just put 5200 under the coaming to secure the ends to the deck?
IMHO, adhesives are a bad idea for the coaming. Because of possible future replacement, or paint not adhering, I don't use caulking of any kind.

See if the foam blocks are loose, and if so, slide them forward. Some descriptions show no access--some do. :confused: I epoxied quarter-sized patches over the original holes and drilled new holes for new stainless fasteners.

Another fix was to move the splash guard forward about half an inch, fill the old holes, and drill new holes.
 
We have been able to drill out those outer rivets, and if there was any of the barrel left in the foam we just pushed it down into the foam a bit to make room for the new rivet.

You should order new rivets from Laser Performance or a Sunfish Parts Dealer. They need to be aluminum, closed end. Buy 2 sets in case one or two don't go in correctly. Stainless are a nightmare to remove later.

5200 would not hold down the outer ends, there is a curve on the deck.
 
da pal, I went through this last year and have a long thread about it with photos. If you search thread title ‘Power washer damage’ (sorry, not sure how to copy link here) there’s lots of good info and advice from many here, including the proper rivets listed on page 2.
 
To copy link, first copy the link on your browser window and paste it into your post, example Coaming (splash guard), The software should hyperlink it automatically when you Save.

You can also highlight a word or string of text in your post, then look for the figure 8 looking icon above your post, just to the left of the Images and Smiley icons. Run your cursor over that and a little box will pop up that says Insert Link. Click on that icon and a URL box will pop up. Paste link into that box and click on the Insert box. FYI the little drop down to the right of the Smiley is where video URLS can be linked by clicking on Media.

 
Last edited:
da pal, I went through this last year and have a long thread about it with photos. If you search thread title ‘Power washer damage’ (sorry, not sure how to copy link here) there’s lots of good info and advice from many here, including the proper rivets listed on page 2.
Here's the link:

 

Back
Top