Need help reaching bolts buried overhead

[1der-pri0]

Just picked up an '88 Tartan 31 and I'm midway into swapping turning blocks. Some bolts are unreachable above the cabin headliner. Anyone familiar with how these were mounted back then? I'd love to avoid pulling down the whole liner unless there's a smarter approach.

 

[ce n'est pas bread]

Well when this happened to me, I used a flex shaft with a socket adapter through a small cutout. If you can feel the backing plate, your borescope can come in handy for the angle. Good luck.

 

[Sinclair2]

On a lot of 80s-era Tartans, those turning block bolts were installed before the headliner went in, meaning there's no magic trick. You'll waste more time trying to outsmart the design than just pulling the liner

 

[1der-pri0]

@ce n'est pas bread very creative suggestion with the flex shaft and borescope. I did spend some time attempting that method over the past week. I managed to get one of the bolts loose but the access is still proving to be very challenging.
@Sinclair2 your post is very timely. After struggling to get at the bolts with other tools for the last several days, I am beginning to believe you are correct. Removing the section of the headliner may be the only way to do this job properly.

 

[TartanTitan]

I'd have to agree with @Sinclair2 on how these older boats are set up.
A trick I've used is to drill a small pilot hole through the headliner right where you need to access the nut, just big enough for a long socket extension.
A small hole is way easier to patch invisibly than a big tear, but just be sure you know exactly where you're drilling!