June 2019 – We have found a couple of areas where the fwd cabin bulkhead is rotten. Before we cut out the rotten areas we wanted to try to inject penetrating epoxy and see that would fix it. We first taped the area and drilled holes 2 inches apart. We used clear tape so that’s why you probably don’t notice the tape in the picture:

We then put penetrating epoxy (Fasco Stop Rot) in thru the holes with a syringe. We started at the top and made our way down. Once we noticed the epoxy dripping from below we clamped the lower section:

We then kept putting epoxy in and started taping the hole, this time from bottom to top.

Two days later the epoxy was cured and the plywood stabilized!! We are happy with the results.

June 2019 – The area where the chainplate is attached to this same bulkhead was also rotten. Since this is a key structural point of the boat we decided to cut up all the rotten plywood, replace it with new plywood and bond it to the existing bulkhead with thickened epoxy and few layers of fiberglass (1708) . From the location of the damage, it would appear that the chain plate seals have failed over time and allowed water to penetrate the deck and leak down the inside of the hull, unseen by the lockers and seating that covered it. So perhaps the moral here is that $30 of sealant caulk would have been money very well spent several years ago by the past owners.

We used cardboard to make a template for the new piece of plywood.

As you can see we had to cut up more rotten plywood and we now have to replace it with new ply. We will use the same process, cardboard template and then cut up new ply using the template. This is work in progress. More to come….

The bulkhead shown in the previous photos is in the port side and separates the forward cabin from the main cabin. Right next to this bulkhead there are (were) two chainplate knees:

We were unsure about the status of these chainplates knees. After poking around we found some fiberglass delamination and signs of rotten wood so we decided to remove them:

We created templates with cardboard and cut new plywood (two 1/2 in plywood plates bonded with thickened epoxy) to produce new knees. This is one:

Test fit was successful. We still need to use the router to round up the outer edge to make laying fiberglass mat over this surface easier. I haven’t bonded the new knees to the hull yet.

With the rotten bulkhead and the knees, there is a big fiberglass job coming up in this area. As of right now I am just making sure I have all the pieces ready and the surfaces prepped up before I start planning how I am going to approach the fiberglass job in this area. I would like to do it all at once but I may have to phase it out. I will be putting more updates as I make progress. Stay tuned!

October 3rd, – Time to start the repair and rebuild.

The weather here has been unseasonably hot for the past few weeks which has made working in the boat shed akin to being in a sauna. So, we have been waiting for it to col of before continuing. This week, it felt better so we cracked on and started repairs to the main bulkhead, port side. With all the pieces cut, it was time to start bonding them back to the hull. For this, we used Six10 thickened epoxy in a tube dispenser to run a bead along the edges of the ply before holding it in place with clamps and temporary screws, (see the figure above).

The existing bulkhead was still securely held to the front locker frame so we are confident that they will all form a solid panel when completed. The final step will be to remove the old laminate and replace it with a new, single sheet.

With the first panel in place, it was time to add the first of the replacement chain plate knees. Again, after first thoroughly cleaning the hull surface, we used thickened epoxy to secure the knee to the hull wall and held it in place with tape while it cured. To allow for the later addition of fiberglass mat over the join, we used a spacer piece to set the knee position against the chain plate as it was curing. This can be seen in the pictures.

Once the knees are in place, they will wrapped with three pieces of 1708 fiberglass mat to bond them securely to the hull, after which they will be drilled to accept new chain plate bolts . We plan on completing all the work on the port side before starting on the starboard, otherwise we will be overloading both ourselves and the work area.

Here’s part of the next installment…

October 2019

We have now bonded the two new knees to the port side hull as well as adding a layer of mat to the bulkhead repair. Next, we will lay mat over the knees to tab them to the hull as well as adding mat to the bulkhead repair pieces inside the main cabin.

The main bulkhead repair inside the locker has now been completed and layers of 1708 mat applied to bond the new inserts to the hull and bulkhead. This can be seen in the picture below.

October 20th, 2019. The port side knees and bulkhead repairs have now been glassed in place with multiple layers of 1708 mat. Throughout this repair process we have used West System 105/206 Epoxy and hardener. With the weather now turning cooler, we will have limited time available over the coming weeks to carry out more glassing.

Galley investigations.

October 2019. We have started taking out some of the galley fittings in order to examine the bulkhead and hull around it for rot and decay. We already know that the galley bulkhead has rot where it joins the hull and the storage lockers above the gallery have a considerable amount of rotten wood showing in addition to de-lamination of the supporting fiberglass tabs. To investigate further, we have removed the galley locker /shelf unit as well as the sink, counter top and cold store top. All of this was due to be replaced as part of the build plan so the material loss is negligible. This has allowed us to get a good look at the extent of the bulkhead rot and de-lamination in this area. Slowly, the vessel is giving up more of its secrets.

The next stage is to assess the damage to the short galley bulkhead and consider the best approach to make a repair. With both sides exposed, it should be possible to add a similar repair piece as has been done to the main bulkhead. Fortunately, any repair here will be hidden by the galley surfaces and the adjacent seating.

October 23, 2019. The section of rotten plywood on the galley bulkhead has now been cut out and a new piece made to fit. This will be bonded and fiber glassed in place using much the same process as the main bulkhead repair just completed. At the same time we have taken this chance to clean out and sand the back of the galley and remove any old de-laminated glass. having the bulkhead cut away has given us access to this normally hidden section of the galley woodwork.

November 19, 2019. We have moved on a bit from here and now have the galley bulkhead glassed in and gel coated. Once this was done we put a temporary counter top on it and set it up as a workstation for tools, allowing us to open up the battery box and nav station. I will get a few pictures of this completed galley repair and post them asap.

In meantime, we have moved on to examine the starboard bulkheads and the head, in addition to removing the starboard berth. We knew that the berth was rotten but had yet to examine the head bulkheads in detail. Sure enough, they were rotten at the deck joints as well as at the base where they met the hull. So, we are planning to perform a similar repair process as carried out on the port side. That is, cut out the damaged ply and bond in a new section, leaving the original still tied in firmly to the door posts. With the starboard berth removed and the head opened up, we now have full access to these bulkheads.

These two bulkheads also act as chain plate anchor points so their structural integrity is critical. In addition to the bulkheads here, there are also two chain plate knees glassed to the hull at the back of the head so these will be examined also.

Once the repair is done, tabbed in to the hull and the bulkhead re-finished.

December 10, 2019. Well, the head bulkhead project just got a lot more complex since after cutting away the tabbing, the bulkhead was pretty much floating, held in place by the door frame. So, rather than repair this bulkhead in place, we have taken it down and will build a new bulkhead inside the cabin before replacing it completely. With the bulkhead removed, it will give us much better access to carry out the chainplate repairs.

Why is the head repair being mentioned in this chainplate post? Well, as mentioned above, the head is home to the four starboard chainplates; two in knees set against the hull and the others tied into the bulkheads. All were found to be held with nothing more than rotten, crumbling plywood.

In case you were wondering..

why this bulkhead work is being done in the cramped cabin and not outside; its because the companionway is too small to get this size of panel through. So, we will carry on in the open cabin now that most of the original fittings and structures have been removed. Here’s a view of the cabin today as seen from the companionway steps.

January 2020. Both starboard bulkheads have been removed leaving the stripped out head space exposed and bare. The mahogany posts that formed the door and bulkhead frame have been tied down at the base with temporary fittings in order to preserve their alignment. As can be seen, with the sole plate cut away, there is nothing left to anchor these posts to so we have fitted these temporary ties above the open bilge. After making templates of both bulkheads, we are ready to dry fit them. Each new bulkhead will be made in two pieces so that it can pass through the companionway opening and then joined as one before being set in place. The plan is to join the two pieces of each bulkhead with an inset fiberglass band to ensure maximum strength. Once it has been joined, it will be covered in a laminate sheet, trimmed to shape then epoxy bonded in place.

The new bulkheads will be trimmed and assembled inside the cabin before being set into place with tabbing to the hull and deck. Prior to the final fitting of these two bulkheads, we will move the new water tank into the open V-berth bilge since the open head will allow the large tank to move into the forward cabin, bypassing the small opening in the doorway.

September 2021 – update!

The boat is moving to a new home and we need to finish the bulkhead work before it can be lifted and transported. So, in the past week I have fabricated a second bulkhead from ply sheet, joined the two sections inside the hull and tabbed the single panel in place. Here’s a few pictures of the work undertaken.