Greetings all, I recently discovered a loose screw on my stemhead (scary) which prompted me to walk around the boat tightening all of the screws just to be sure. When I got to the portside stern cleat, I found the two screws very easily turned in their holes without any effort what-so-ever. I was hoping I could unscrew them and either fill /reuse the holes or replace the screws with an oversized replacement, but unfortuately they just turn equally easily in the counterclockwise direction as well (even with some up pressure applied) which tells me there is probably a nut on the other end of the screw (rather than it being my hopeful wood screw) and so I'm somehow going to have to cut a hole, dig through a couple feet of foam, and find a way to snake my arm and wrench up to either tighten or remove the offending nut if it was somehow striped.
Hopefully someone will tell me it ain't so, that there is a real simple fix, but then again I still believe in Santa Claus when it suits me (needing that extra special Christmas present).
I also find myself wondering why two self respecting screws, probably with lock nuts, would decide to loosen themselves to that extent... I can't think of a reason... but I'm sure it's not a good sign...