matarcadia wrote:Hello all,
I am sure this has been addressed before and perhaps someone can refer me to the board archives if there is one to answer some of my questions?
My hull #161 is a 1971 boat. The coring is shot and the cuddy cabin is being pushed downward by the rig tension. My boat has heavy fibreglass knees which extend athwartships but end about 1-1/2 inches short of the vertical side of the cuddy cabin. This to me was a manufacturing flaw. As the cabin is depressed the deck near the end of the knees bulges upward. The glass of the underside skin inside the cabin is beginning to crack.
Hi Michael,
You have a few problems, but nothing that can't be remedied. I'll give you some viewpoints according to what I read from your post.
A lot of the type of problems you describe started after the boat builders changed over from keel-stepped masts to the roof mounted tabernacles. This change, in itself, wasn't too drastic if every boat qwner used common sense. But let's face it, homo sapiens is, at best, normal, far from perfect. The newer boat builders didn't allow much margin for error.
My guess is that the fiberglass arch is an add-on that was installed by the previous owner, trying to alleviate the apparent problem that was developing. The correct arch and buttresses weren't used.
Although inconvenient to some, I think that the use of a compression post placed under the tabernacle is much more effective than an improperly installed arch.
If I was repairing the cuddy roof, I would probably jack the roof upward in very small increments until it was about in its normal shape. Maybe there is another Ty WE in your area to measure from.
Lay a 2"x4" piece of straight lumber across the roof and measure the required distance from the 2"x4" to the deck. Remember, as the roof contour goes up, the shrouds and stays will get sloppy. and have to be readjusted.
My first major question is do I remove the outer skin and work from the outside or do I remove the under side skin and work from below? I plan to recore at least from just forward of the fore deck cleat aft to just behind the cuddy ports.
Mike, under normal conditions (are any conditions normal when doing boat work?) when doing recoring work, I like to open up the top skin and work from above. Gravity keeps things from getting too messy. Besides, it is pretty tight quarters working inside of a cuddy cabin, all hunched up.
When cutting the skin to get at the core, remember that you most likely have an inch or better of solid fiberglass deck from the toerail inward at the deck/hull joint.
Break the total job up into many smaller projects and you will keep from getting overawed and discouraged. You will amaze yourself at how proficient you will get as you proceed along. Good luck
Owners who have done this repair before please respond.
P.S. I sailed last season in Florida with a 4x4 supported by 2x4's framed against the seat frames. Not ideal but allowed me to teach a youngester in the neighbor how to sail and race.
Michael #161
Good luck. Don't forget to keep your hull bottom clean.
O J
