Engine hatch screws puncture the vinyl?

[shonuff]

I'm in the middle of putting a new vinyl skin on my '05 SANTE 210 engine hatch. I pulled the old skin yesterday and noticed that the screws from the hinge protrude into the foam cushion. I can feel the screws if I push the foam so I'm wondering if this becomes an issue down the road from people walking on the hatch, etc. Will these screws eventually wear a hole into the vinyl? Should I reinforce that area to prevent future tearing?

I just bought the boat a few months ago and am replacing the engine hatch skin because the back edge of the skin was crispy and torn. There aren't any punctures from the hinge screws but I'm wondering since its all taken apart right now if I should do something as a preventative measure. Any thoughts?

[DanielC]

If the screws are too long, shorten them while you have it apart. Stainless steel screws are made of pretty soft metal. It will file down easy.

[shonuff]

Think of a piece of flat composite board, you bolt a hinge on the bottom side so on the top side of the board you have a nut and part of the bolt sitting above the top surface. Then you lay a piece of foam over the entire top surface. That's basically what the hatch looks like. Even if I filed the few protruding threads from the screw shaft, the whole nut would still be there.

So when you walk on the engine hatch if you step directly over one of the bolts you will feel the nut. This just seems like a weak area to me where a hole would eventually form. I'm just wondering if this is a common issue and whether or not I should reinforce the new vinyl in that area to prevent tears.