cd25 side deck reverse cant problem

[Greg Phillips]

I've removed the coamings to facilitate their refinishing and have exposed quite a pronounced slant in the side decks at the area of my aft stanchions. I had noticed a puddling of water that wouldn't drain outboard into the weepholes in the toerail previously but until the coaming was off I couldn't see the extent of the inward cant on both sides. What really bothers me most is that the stanchions are now angled severely inward and it narrows the pathway along the side decks. Plus, it looks awful. I'm not going to try to correct the inward cant of the decks but I would like to straighten up the stanchions. What about putting "cants" under the stanchion bases to make the uprights more vertcal? Bending the stanchion at the top of the base with a pipe bender? Finding bases that angle the stanchion outboard and more vertcal? Any suggestions?



2mileyc@digitalexp.com

[JimL]

My stanchions were leaned out (though I have the same inward cant on CD25 #21). I solved the problem this way:
1. Buy stainless steel fender washers (from industrial hardwares), to use as shims under the low side of the stanchion mount. You may choose to grind two edges for neatest appearance (I didn't bother, there is only a little sticking out, and Odyssey III is SOOOO rough....) Be sure to use sealer on both sides of the washer.
2. Cut large 3/16" thick aluminum plates for backing, below decks. This will require trimming the interior trim boards, but you'll square up and stabilize your stanchions. You will need longer bolts and self locking nuts. I used socket head, countersunk bolts, to allow enough tightening torque to suck the deck liner up to the deck.

I don't think you have a real structural problem, it's probably just the nature of the beast.



leinfam@earthlink.net

[john doyle]

I've removed the coamings to facilitate their refinishing and have exposed quite a pronounced slant in the side decks at the area of my aft stanchions. I had noticed a puddling of water that wouldn't drain outboard into the weepholes in the toerail previously but until the coaming was off I couldn't see the extent of the inward cant on both sides. What really bothers me most is that the stanchions are now angled severely inward and it narrows the pathway along the side decks. Plus, it looks awful. I'm not going to try to correct the inward cant of the decks but I would like to straighten up the stanchions. What about putting "cants" under the stanchion bases to make the uprights more vertcal? Bending the stanchion at the top of the base with a pipe bender? Finding bases that angle the stanchion outboard and more vertcal? Any suggestions?

Make sure the decks are not full of rotted balsa & make sure the bulk heads under the cockpit are sound. Something is wrong.
John



redzeplin@yahoo.com

[JimL]

I don't see any real "bulkheads" under the cockpit. It appears to be cantilevered across the hull. The companionway opening seems about right, with very little flare (front to rear) in the upper opening.

I may try some jacking and reinforcing, while the boat is still on the trailer. If anything interesting happens, I'll post the result (unless it's too embarassing to speak of!) That's the advantage of old, "almost free" boats.....you can try all kinds of stuff without guilt.

[Greg Phillips]

I don't see any real "bulkheads" under the cockpit. It appears to be cantilevered across the hull. The companionway opening seems about right, with very little flare (front to rear) in the upper opening.

I may try some jacking and reinforcing, while the boat is still on the trailer. If anything interesting happens, I'll post the result (unless it's too embarassing to speak of!) That's the advantage of old, "almost free" boats.....you can try all kinds of stuff without guilt.

Jim, My bulkhead was not structural to any great extent and I have since replaced it with one that is. My mistake was not identifying the cant problem before fitting the new bulkhead. I rather doubt that I would have had alot of success in lifting the side decks much without stressing something else with ill results. I wish I had tried it. Thanks for the advice. Greg Phillips CD25#469 Linda Lou



2mileyc@digitalexp.com

[Jeff Funston]

There should be a bulkhead between the head-Vberth area and the main cabin, another bulkhead aft of the berths in the main cabin. If either of these bulkheads have been removed that could explain the settling of the deck. If water has wicked in around the stanchions, support for the deck in the waterlogged balsa area would be reduced



jefff@pinn.net

[JimL]

The plywood bulkhead, aft of the quarterberths, is very light, and doesn't reach up to the side decks. Under the cockpit, it only reaches to the deck liner, but that has about 1/2" air space between it and the bottom of cockpit sole (and not very hard contact). Seems to me, if the cockpit was sinking, That bulkhead wouldn't be "floating". It must be there strictly to keep locker stuff out of the boat!

Water on the side decks does drain under forward edge of coaming, down the groove at seat/cabin back corner, and out the scuppers. However, this is only with the boat sitting level (not sailing). I'm still not convinced we have a big problem.



leinfam@earthlink.net