Compression Post Repair

[StanFM]

OK, Don't laugh. This could be the weirdest repair yet! When under sail, I collect a small bit of H2O under the front settee...

...so my day started by getting ready to dig around and find a breach somewhere. I don't mind sponging up a bit of rain water, but dang, I want the bilge dry when sailing if I can. You can see someone tried the quick slobber on some of the classic "Marine Tex Solution..."

...but it's not working. So let's get after it with some delicate 36 grit!

Here we go...

No amount of grease on those keel lock bolt threads would have worked on this! It was not bedded in. Plug your ears, because I'm going to say I'll not put it back in. I don't use the lock bolt, and don't intend to. Sorry about that.
I'll clean up a big area, plug the hole, and glass it in with fabric and epoxy.

It's 110 degrees today in Phoenix! Nice day to be crawling around in the boat, eh? Anyway, before I move on to the real topic of this thread, this is what happens when there's a teensy bit too much hardener in the mix...

"BAM!" The whole glob just went nuclear all at once, and smoke was pouring out of the container-- no joke! And this was the 206 slow hardener!

Can you say, "Melt down?" Hilarious. Anyway, even more than a few cups of water in the bilge, what's really been bugging me is the housing underneath the compression post that has over the years been, well- compressing. Not sure you can see it here, but the post has been mashing down on the fiberglass...

I've had nightmares about the mast pushing the compression post clean through the hull! Hey, I have to break for dinner, but I'll continue next post.

Stan

 

[Chris Patterson]

Well, there's one thing to say about it Stan. You ain't afraid to go at 'em.
Quick tip, when you get your epoxy mixed the way you want it, pour it out in a large tupperware type bowl, or a pan. The exothermic reaction is caused more by the small container than anything, it doesn't like to be "bunched up" in a cup. Fact is, I do all of my mixing in a big bowl. Use it up quickly enough, so most of it gets out of the bowl, and reuse it many, many times.
You can't go wrong sealing up that lock bolt hole. That silly thing is an invitation to disaster.
When you cut out a section of liner to get under that mast, don't be surprised by what you see. This is one of those areas that Catalina sort of got lazy. And you'll see why it's sinking..

 

[StanFM]

I guess I spent a little too much time leaning into the bilge today, because, "Ouch!" My left man-boob is killing me. Sorry, TMI there.
Banging on the fiberglass sounds really hollow, so not knowing what is or isn't in there is really bugging me now. But since there is no one crazy enough to be out at the lake in the lot today to help me drop the mast, I'll do the next best thing... steal the jack out of the car!

I hadn't hauled off the old bunk pieces I cut up yet, so they'll make some good supports.

Post is bye-bye...

That cushion did not help the man-boob situation. Post is headed home to the workshop. The suspense is getting to me now... so I'll cut a square out the of the top.

Ah... thought so!

That post doesn't look like it ever bore any weight at all. There were no compression marks on the inside of the fiberglass square I cut out either! Could it have left the factory like this? That dark stuff is really hard-- and the post is solid. When I banged on it with a hammer it resonated the whole boat. Now this is the part where it gets really weird. Since the post and mystery blobs are solid, and the whole housing makes a great form, I'll take the square I cut out, block it behind the wood post to complete the form, and use some quick setting concrete product to create a pad for the post! Its compression strength will be much greater than I need, and the fiberglass housing will form it. It will fall nicely into the odd shaped hole, and should be solid.

Ha! After an hour or so, this stuff got incredibly hot! Classic exothermic chemical reaction. In fact, it made me a little nervous, so I sacrificed my ice bag to draw at least some heat off.

My plan is to set the post back on this pad, and then add some wood trim to cover the strip mine I created. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it all works out! Of course, now I will for sure get a flat tire on the car!

Stan

 

[StanFM]

When you cut out a section of liner to get under that mast, don't be surprised by what you see. This is one of those areas that Catalina sort of got lazy. And you'll see why it's sinking..

...How right you were! Thanks for the tip on the epoxy.

Stan

 

[jrowan]

Like the idea of using quick set concrete. A cheap, strong & permanent fix. Also adds lil ballast in their for good measure. Even if the concrete cracks down the road, its sandwiched in & not going anywhere. Definitely better then a hole which can't support anything. Sometimes I wonder how Catalina manages to keep a good reptation with some of the slack ass construction methods that they have gotten away with. But it's testamonial to the resiliency of a fiberglass hull. Cheers.

 

[StanFM]

38 years of gravity and compression... not bad for some fiberglass! It was the not knowing what was in there that was frustrating me. Now it's done! On to the next problem(s)!

Stan

 

[StanFM]

No flat tires this week while my car jack was holding up the cabin roof! After some repair and varnishing, the compression post went back in this morning...

The post is seated directly on top of the pad I created. However, I made some U-shaped pieces of trim to slip around the base and hide the repair...

As weird as this repair was, it has to be better than just the liner fiberglass holding up the mast!

Stan

 

[StanFM]

Man, that 70's fabric is just awesome, isn't it?

Stan

 

[Chris Patterson]

Stan, I'm pretty impressed. The mast collapsing through concrete probably ain't gonna happen. And that idea sure saved you a lot of cutting the liner out as well. I think you trail blazed a solid repair, man.

 

[GDTRFB]

hows the compression post repair working out for you? I would like to do something similar this winter during the off season and I am contemplating how I am going to 'fill the void'

Paul

 

[StanFM]

Seems solid enough. Way better than just the top of the fiberglass liner with no support whatsoever! But my guess is that each boat will be different. The post inside was firm and didn't seem to be suffering from rot down in the bilge area--- it just didn't extend high enough to support the compression post. Some guys have had to remove the old rotted wood and replace the whole piece inside.

Stan

 

[StanFM]

Wooo Hoooo! Took my wife out for her first sail yesterday, and lo and behold, the various epoxy and glass hull spots I've been working on rendered A DRY BILGE! I mean there was a tinkle near the base of the volcano that the corner of a debutante's hanky could soak up, but that was it! No sponge or bucket needed! (Let's see if it lasts!)
Deck leaks are annoying... but bottom leaks are depressing!

Stan = happy dry camper

 

[Chris Patterson]

Stan, that small leak is unacceptable. Have the boat hauled, and blocked immediately!
After repeated sanding, working finer and finer, until you reach 1200 grit paper, epoxy the whole underside of the boat. 6 coats of bottom paint, at roughly $250.00 a gallon, while you sweat BLOOD putting it on, it will be fine. Nothing short of perfection is the benchmark.

Seriously; cool deal man. A happy bride, makes a happy sailor.

 

[GorillaToast]

Can someone give me a hand extracting Chris' tongue from the inside of his cheek?

 

[StanFM]

Too funny, guys! Bottom leaks on old boats and old boaters are truly depressing.

Stan

 

[lowerfredrick]

Stan, how was the bottom of the compression post attached when you removed it? I'd like to remove mine to refinish it (mast is down for winter) but am not sure how the bottom is attached. Thanks!

 

[StanFM]

On mine there was a single lag screw down into the top, but nothing at all at the bottom. The little wood ring came off at the top with the removal of the obvious screws. Then I started an unscrewing twisting motion with the post while gently moving its bottom to one side and off. My rigging and mast were standing in place, but I had removed any pressure on the post with the car jack setup.

Stan

 

[StanFM]

By the way, while I'm thinking about it, the boat has been cruising and racing bone dry in the bilge all fall. Not a drop anywhere when sailing. We have a regatta coming up this month and I'm anxious to see if hauling her nearly 100 miles on the road flexed anything and caused a leak. Here's a shot of her waiting to go back to Discount Tire. The rubber was at least 10 years old and cracking badly when I bought her, and had really ugly painted black wheels with no hubcaps. So I sprung for a couple new wheels and tires, but had to learn a lesson there also (so many first lessons with this boat-- exactly what I was hoping for actually!). First new rubber was bias ply (like the old tires) but after balancing twice at a patient Discount Tire, the nasty vibrations at highway speeds would not go away. Put on radials instead, and bam-- smooth as silk! The guys at Discount were very patient and helpful.

Stan

 

[StanFM]

I know the white stripes paint looks a bit strange... but the po had this huge red lettering on the sides that I needed to cover up and I'm not experienced enough to attempt a full hull paint job. But I did want to rename the boat and perk it up a bit. Here's a pic of the boat right after I bought her with the red letters, no fender, bad bunks, old wheels and tires, etc., etc.... an ugly duckling for sure, but she still looked great to me-- my first sailboat!

Stan

 

[Snowman80]

wow awesome repair....i just got a 71 and will be looking at the same area...