Cape Dory 28 - I need to rebed....pretty much everything

[Green Horn]

Hello everyone, I am very excited to be the new owner of a 1977 Cape Dory 28 and a new member of this community. When you buy a boat this old you expect to be doing some maintenance and I knew I'd be doing a good bit of that. But when I had a marina look at it, they said:

"The mast step has leaked to the point that the cabin floor is damaged. The stanchions, cleats. hatch, winches, possibly the toe rail, etc. all show signs of leaking and the teak liner is wet. Just about everything on deck that can leak is leaking and has been for some time. "

So, I've got some work to do. I've been reading everything I can on rebedding deck hardware and it appears that the steps for me are:
1. Use a oscillating tool to cut holes in the lining so that I can get to where backing plates need to be installed.
2. Unscrew the stanchion bases, cleats etc. and fill the holes with epoxy and drill a new hole in the dried epoxy if needed. Then wrap butyl tape around the top of the bolt and around the base and make backing plates out of g10 and tighten from the nuts underneath.

Am I on the right track? Should I be considering another way to do this? I'm new to sailing and boat ownership so any advice you have would be appreciated. Thanks!

[appletim1]

Great resource here.

https://marinehowto.com/bed-it-tape/

[JD-MDR]

Hi Green Horn, Thanks for posting. In my case I needed to be able to use my boat at least locally. I first went to engine maintenance and structural repairs ,chainplates, mast step, standing rigging, shaft log etc. Luckily my boat didn't leak much but I could live with those things for a while and fix them over time.

[John Stone]

Greenhorn,
Welcome to the family. The 28 is a great boat.

First, keep a long range vision. Eat the elephant a bite at a time.

Second, write down and take pictures of everything you do. Lots of reason for it but mostly when you think you have done so little and there is still so much to be done you can look back and see all you have accomplished. This is no joke.

Third, make a list of all the things you think you need to do. Two columns. Must do and want to do. Prioritize the items in each column. Don’t be wed to it but you need to have a plan else you’ll have a harder time staying focused on what needs to be done and you’ll get exasperated.

Fourth, call Jamestown Distributors and tell them what you are doing. They have some plans that will give you a discount and you can also buy into the VIP program that provides free shipping. They are quality people. I think I am probably on a first name basis with most of them by now.

Fifth, with regard to the stanchion bases...the solid glass part of the deck flange is wide on many of the CDs. If the inboard bolts don’t penetrate any core then no need to fill with epoxy and redrill. You don’t have to replace the aluminum backing blares with G10. I did but it’s not mandatory.

Last, a few things need to be done exactly right. But remember that perfect is the enemy of good enough.

Here is a link to my rebuild site. Not what you are looking to do but might give you some ideas. Lots of help on the forum by folks with all kinds of experience.

http://www.farreachvoyages.com

Look forward to reading more about your projects.

[Green Horn]

Hi everyone, Thanks for the links and advice. I'll post updates and a pic or two once I get started.