[roddandcara]

On the deck is where you want to counter sink. It does two things 1- it feathers the gel-coat away from the threads of the screw so as to prevent crazing and cracking of the gel-coat around the hole. 2- It creates an o-ring like seal around the stem of the screw and forces the sealant to become a custom fit o-ring as you tighten the fitting/hatch.

Using this method it''s ok to tighten the hatch all the way on the first installation. By tightening just a little and letting the goop cure to create a "gasket" you create leaks at the screw holes when you tighten after cure. Many people use the tighten after cure method only to have soggy decks. Think about it if the sealant has cured around the screw and you turn the screw you break the seal!

You dont need to counter sink a ton just enough so the threads don''t grab at the edges of the gel-coat.

Using 101 and the countersink method I tighten the fitting all the way and use a putty knife to scrape as much "squeeze" as I can. Then I use denatured alcohol to clean the surface. Don''t get the rags drenched with alcohol or it will soften the 101 under the hatch but you want it wet enough to clean the area.. hope this helps!