Restoring a Cape Dory Typhoon Weekender help

[Capt Lee Shore]

I am a new owner of a neglected Cape Dory Typhoon from 1975 and have undertaken a full restoration
I have a few years experience with a total restoration of larger sailboats and I've already started restoring the cockpit sole (adding a gutter around to sole to promote draingae) and have totally stripped the deck and hull of all fittings and paint in prep for priming, paint rebuild and improvements but there are a few points I need help with, are these feasible improvements, anyone else tried anything like these?

1- access to the bilge is very restricted. I tend to want to fill in deep dark inaccessible bilge areas with foam and glass it over, and use remaining space for a flexible water bladder, and at the very least to wash it down znd paint but as it is there really is no way to reach into the bilge. Options?

2- the poop deck stern locker area. what a tragedy, needs a complete rebuild. i hope to put a hatch lid there and use the area to store a 3 gal fuel tank. it will be ventilated with 2 clamshell vents on top (one of which will be used to pass the fuel hose through) and a low-placed drain overboard (maybethrogh the counterstern?) A bulkhead will be built to block the space from the rest of the interior & to make sure no fumes will get inside

3- Cockpit locker lids: need latches, but how to make them more watertight?

4- Remove mast compression post, use a piece of G10 on deck under mast to spreadmast load instead, maybe knees or other interior roof strengthening?

5- Remove single center deck cleat in favor of two cleats placed closer to toerails? the interor liner is an issue in bolting cleats through

6- Are stanchions, pulpits really necessary?

7-Sheeting: mine came with a traveller; I will switch to double-ended (inverted V) end boom sheeting so the poop deck top is not cluttered by a traveler (or a center block) to allow a cockpit lid to be built there.

8- im enlargenung the two scuppers. Id prefer cockpit scuppers to drain above waterline but this does appear to be a possible fix as the cockpit sole is too close to the waterline. The old gate valves on the scuppers will go, but how much of an issue is water rentering the cockpit through the scuppers? should I add scuppers on the aft?

9- The toerail is a lost cause, sanded to a nub and with holes drilled all over to drain the deck of standing water (see issue 10) but how is it secured to the hul Screwed in or bolted through and if bolted how easy is access past the headliner?

10- There is a drainage issue, there are no seat scuppers that allow the leeward side cockpit seats to drain, and there are no side deck scuppers
Ideally the poop deck top should have a bit of camber instead of being flat as should the cockoit sole

Any other tips or suggestions much appreciated

[Dick Villamil]

WOW! A lot of ideas. I restored a 1976 Typhoon with many serious hull issues. Bilge: I do not like placing foam in these areas since it can hold water and make for some ugly problems. The keel is molded lead that was sealed in the bilge. There is an eye that was used for placing the ballast into the hull. If the hull is sound, there should be no water that gets into the bilge bu I have a bilge pump there just in case. I replaced the through hulls and valves with new ones and used reinforced hoses. You do not need aft cockpit drains since the water does drain out OK through the ones by the cabin.

Ghe water will drain out easily but if the boat is overloaded water may enter the cockpit - but will leave once you balance the load. Before installing a bridle mainsheet system think how you are going to access the aft deck for installing an outboard motor when needed.

Teak rails are attached with screws that have bungs covering their heads. I removed mine and actually made new ones for one side that were heavily damaged.

As for the bow cleats - the single one that was stock is backed up by a backing plate molded into the deck and is pretty strong. I attach two lines to this cleat and have had no problems with it. If you install roller furling (Strongly encouraged) the cleats that are by each chock may be in the way of the furling line.

Deck compression is a major problem in the older Typhoons from too much rig tension. I installed a removable compression post using stanchion tubing with some large washers and All Thread rod with large nuts to allow raising or lowering thew deck by adjusting the nuts. It has served me well for the past 10 years. However I only day-sail the boat, not cruising. Cracks occur where the cabin meets the deck letting you know that there is compression occurring.

DEFINITELY REMOVE ALL DECK HARDWARE AND RECAULK - CAPE DORY DID A TERRIBLE job of caulking and it caused some deck core water to happen - which I have corrected. Some have made a wood hatch on the poop deck to allow for a storage locker - not a bad idea but I just finished removing the wet core and glassed the area over.

The "scuppers" on my Typhoon are merely holes drilled through the coaming and they work fine as long as I remove the leaves that get stuck in them periodically.

Cockpit seat locker hinges and hasps have been discussed on this web site and although it sounds like a great idea I haven't yet done anything about it.

I have a ton of photos of the work I have done and if you need any for assistance, send me a pm and I will provide them to you. Definitely make sure that you sand the hull and apply 3-4 coats of barrier coat to prevent water from getting into the fiberglass .laminate.

I hav e sailed a lot of different boats for over 65 years and like my Typhoon as much or more than the others. Easy to single-hand and great for two but once you get 4 or 5 on board you need to balance the weight to prevent water from entering the cockpit.

You do not want stanchions/lifelines - they just get in the way. I do not have a pulpit and don't miss not having one. I assume it would make a simple rig very complew on the small bow area. Definitely get a FF1 furler - it allows you to keep the excess weight off the bow and makes it easier to furl/unfurl vs hank on the sail then going forward to remove it.

[Bosun]

Lots of good info here! I’m also restoring a 1976 Typhoon Weekender I bought this summer. I have removed all deck hardware for re-beding also. I’m renewing the seacocks with new bronze hardware including proper ball valves. My boat has a hatch on the poop deck. I will be removing it for re-beding and hopefully find a new rubber gasket as it leaks. I like the idea of making a compartment for the fuel tank although for now I will place my 3 gal tank just forward of the rudder post. My main sail is poorly designed as it allows the boom to ride dangerously low in the cockpit. A new sail in being made. I have a roller fuller head sail in almost new condition. I will be installing a 12v system for running lights, cabin lights and a fixed VHF/FM radio. I’m thinking of a depth sounder also.

I will be repainting the main deck, cock pit and cabin. The gel coat on the hull is in pretty good shape, so I may not repaint it just yet. My trailer is in good shape and it has a built in ladder and tongue extension.

I’m shooting to have her sailing early spring in time for the Florida 120 in Pensacola. After that, I’m planning a Mid June trip on the Chesapeake Bay.

Patrick
Semper Paratus

[Paul D.]

Patrick, if you haven't yet, search this site for Typhoon cockpit seacock replacement for good info on that job. There is a bit of a trick to fitting in the ball valve, adapter, 45degree elbow and hoses for very good drainage of the cockpit. I did this job when I restored our old Typhoon a long time ago in an ocean far away. It was a great thing to do as the gate valve essentially crumbled in my hand when I removed it. That boat was an absolute joy to sail and a good friend now owns and sails her each year.

As for roof strengthening. I shaped and epoxied a 1" piece of Red Oak, a deck beam of sorts, under the mast step to spread the mast compression load as the boat had significant deck house sag. It really helped but I still added a screw jack underneath that which created a rock solid transfer of the load.

The other thing that really added a lot to the boat structurally and aesthetically was replacing the UV baked plastic port lights with round ABS bronze fixed port lights. It was a bit of work to widen the diameter of the coachroof holes but I think they really added twice the value to the boat than they cost. I might bed them with butyl tape if I were to do it again, though the original job done in in 1998 with Sikaflex 291 is still fine and watertight. Good luck and thanks for keeping another Typhoon on the water.

[Bosun]

Thanks Paul for the info on the sea cocks. I will research as I was thinking of 45 deg. Elbow for the hoses. One thing I did learn is that all the fittings are measured “ID”. That’s the reason I get to return all the fittings I received! I like the idea of the bronze port lights. As of now I don’t have any signs of deck sagging at the mast although I will be watching closely when I get this girl sailing.

Thanks again,

Patrick
Semper Paratus.