Moomba Swim Platform Nightmares

I own a 2000 Moomba Kamberra, and I have experienced several problems with the swim platform brackets coming loose from the transom of the boat. I have had it repaired twice, but have had the same problems. The problems are that the way the platform brackets are engineered, there is no access to the bottom bolts, (or in this case, lag screws). There are 4 pieces of hardware holding on each swim platform bracket. The top two pieces of hardware are actual bolts that I have access to to tighten when they get loose. The bottom two pieces of hardware are lag screws that screw into the fiberglass. My problem has been that once it has been fixed and re-glassed around the bottom lag screws, they always end up loosening up when water backs under the swim platform, thus making the boat un-operable due to 2 holes in the transom for each bracket. Has anyone heard of this problem in a Moomba, or expeirenced this problem at all? I live in San Antonio, Texas, and I'm the second owner of this boat, so I don't have any dealer contacts in this area. Any help would be much appreciated, due to my frustration levels with this problem. thank you.

I would assume that you could fix the bottom two lags with an epoxy of some sort. I would apply the epoxy to the lag bolts, and then run the bolts in. For the upper bolts, I would locktite those.

You should be able to install a Nutsert type insert into the transom which could hold better than the Lag Screw. Then you bolt into the Nutsert. I have not used these in fiberglass but it would be worth examining.

My other question that would go along with this idea is whether or not this would hold in the long run. The swim platform is made of solid plastic/fiberglass and is attached to the brackets with a coupler on each side that slide over the bracket and then attach with a cotter pin. The problem is that the this creates the swim platform to bounce when water gets under it thus making it pull away from the boat from the bottom. I know with teak platforms they are braced as part of the boat, so when water goes under them it moves with the entire boat, not just the swim platform bouncing around.

You would have to find some way to smooth waterflow under the platform so the load has less impact hammering. Maybe someone with a Moomba will pipe up and give more insight.

To echo what others have said here, I'd find away to make the whole program a little more secure. There's stuff called "Plexis" (sp?) that you could put in the holes, and then run the screws in, and I'd have a hard time believing you'll EVER get them out after that.

Option # 2 that hasn't been suggested yet, and could be made to look good. Buy one or two of these vents..

http://www.danamarineproducts.com/ProductDetails.cfm?group_id=2&catid=20&productid=1 242&CFID=312091&CFTOKEN=58268645

Or perhaps some others of your choice depending on taste.

http://www.danamarineproducts.com/GroupCatProducts.cfm?CatId=20&group_id=2&page=1&CF ID=312091&CFTOKEN=58268645

Get a drill, jigsaw, and a router (to flush mount them).

The vents will let the water pass through the swimstep, and help with your problem. The slots will also act as a sort of nonskid.

If it were me, and you have a friend that's a machinist, or fabricator. I think I'd remove the swimstep, have the holes filled, and have some new brackets made that can through bolt in 4 locations.

RD

(Message edited by riverdave on June 04, 2007)

(Message edited by riverdave on June 04, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestions Dave. My preference would be to fabricate some sort of new brackets that could bolt all the way through, but the way the transom is engineered, there is no way to get to the bottom 2 bolts on each side of the bracket to install.

There's always a way BigStick. ;)

Post some pictures of the transom, with and without the current brackets. I can probably get some brackets made up for you, or make them myself.

RD

Talk to the people at South Austin Marine, they will get you taken care of.

Thanks guys. I will post some pics of the transom in the next couple of days.