I recently "aquired" a 30'er and am trying to rescue it from the neglect it has been subject to for the last several years... of the many issues I am dealing with, I have discovered that the piece of plywood that was molded into the fiberglass cockpit floor is rotted. I assume this plywood was installed to give the cockpit floor strength and to provide a means to solidly mount the steering pedistal. My plan is to cut out the entire piece from underneath and replace it... has anyone ever done this and are there any suggestions or things to be aware of that may help ?? Thanks in advance!
O'Day 30 Cockpit "sub-floor"
- Thread starter Majyik
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Well you came to the right place cause when I purchased my 32 I had the exact same problem and at first I was going to cut the fiberglass from above then after I studied the situation I realized what mistake that would have been 
so plan B for me was to remove as much stuff as possible from my engine room which is below my center cockpit and then after removing the steering pedestal and all the old laminated plywood, I then placed about 6 cement block on top of the cockpit floor(you'll see later why) then I got a sheet of 3/4 marine plywood all cut to fit and propped it up with a bunch of 2x3 crutch's then after I was satisfied I removed the crutches and whipped up a batch of West System thick like peanut butter and placed the plywood up with the crutches and additional shims to get it good and tight, the cement blocks helped the deck from bowing.....the next day I removed the shims and installed another sheet of plywood with epoxy and screws giving me a 1-1/2 thick deck that has held up nice for the last 9 years
BTW: make sure you cover as much of your body and other boat parts as possible cause West epoxy sticks and won't come off! I used a few boat seat/cushions to lay on and still have them with epoxy all over them and there's still a few globs on my heater hoses
so plan B for me was to remove as much stuff as possible from my engine room which is below my center cockpit and then after removing the steering pedestal and all the old laminated plywood, I then placed about 6 cement block on top of the cockpit floor(you'll see later why) then I got a sheet of 3/4 marine plywood all cut to fit and propped it up with a bunch of 2x3 crutch's then after I was satisfied I removed the crutches and whipped up a batch of West System thick like peanut butter and placed the plywood up with the crutches and additional shims to get it good and tight, the cement blocks helped the deck from bowing.....the next day I removed the shims and installed another sheet of plywood with epoxy and screws giving me a 1-1/2 thick deck that has held up nice for the last 9 yearsBTW: make sure you cover as much of your body and other boat parts as possible cause West epoxy sticks and won't come off! I used a few boat seat/cushions to lay on and still have them with epoxy all over them and there's still a few globs on my heater hoses
This is great information... !! I was concerned that there may be some "surprise" that I didn't expect. It is good to hear that someone had run into the same and was able to replace it. The pedistal needs a re-paint as well and I had planned to do all this when it is out.
I like the dual plywood idea ... seems it would make it stronger (possibly) than original?! I appreciate the feedback and will let you know how it turns out.
Great looking 32, by the way!!
I like the dual plywood idea ... seems it would make it stronger (possibly) than original?! I appreciate the feedback and will let you know how it turns out.
Great looking 32, by the way!!
I have a 28 and have the same issue with rot under the pedestal. Keep me posted as I've had in trepidation on starting project.
Same here. Just noticed it while winterizing this fall. I'll be watching this thread closely as well.
Great information for me as well. O'Day seems to have had serious problems getting the cockpit floors strong enough to withstand the weight and pressure from the wheels/ pedestals, etc. I have considered just proping it up from the quarterberth below, but that would be a cheezy, lazy option vs. the one described above w/ the twin layers of plywood....any other thoughts are appreciated. Pat
Pat,
In our case I don't think it's a weight issue. When I was looking at the floor in the fall it seemed like it was due to water intrusion from around the pedestal mounting bolts and the binnacle post mount. I didn't see any deflection or indication of fatigue from weight, just the rotten wet wood. Anyone that doesn't have the problem yet should probably take from this a word of encouragement to maintain the caulk around the pedestal base.
I don't think it is the weight either...the pedestal seems to be the one item everyone grabs when they come on board and if the floor is saturated from the bolts leaking it seems to allow the pedestal to move or lean...just pressure from people leaning on it...I'm not sure why this should have been an o'day issue, but I've never seen it on any other boats....Ours was loose and the floor seemed weak when we bought the boat new....the dealer installed aluminum braces across the top of the quarterberth ceiling and re-bolted the big pedestal nuts thru these alum. braces...but after 26 years, the problem is still there....Our floor seemed so weak from people jumping down after stepping on the cockpit seat,(all while putting pressure on the pedestal)that I ended up installing a teak cockpit grate to take some of the pressure off the floor...in fact it was specifically designed to be jumped on vs. landing on the weakened fiberglass floor...also, the dealer should have removed the carpeting from the quarter berth ceiling as it did not (does not)
allow a snug down of the large bolts...
Pat
I have a 1982 ODay30, just made a cardboard template today to replace the rotted plywood I removed last fall. Water intrusion @ the base of the pedestal caused the rot. A contributor was that the forward 2 bolts and the edge of the plate under the floor were beyond the forward edge of the original plywood. What felt like a soft cockpit floor when leaning back on the top of the pedestal was actually due to the gap between the underside plate and the f/g floor. It resulted in a bit of a bend in the edge of the plate. After some grinding, the new plywood will extend fwd enough to fully overlap the steel plate.
Removing the rotten plywood was easy. The hard part was the aft half which was essentially fine and includes two wood blocks that serve as the rudder stops. This part was glued in place with a large blob of what appeared to have been thickened epoxy. Getting this part out was a major chore. Lots of patience, lying on my side, cutting, grinding and prying to eventually pop it loose.
The expected cost when all done will include about $15 for a quarter sheet of PT plywood and about $60 for a new set of four aluminum bolts from Edson. They're 12 bucks each + shipping. I plan to install the new piece the same way the original was done, with a blob at the aft half and some f/g tape along the sides and fwd edge. The original lasted 30 years so a replacement in kind should be goodfor another 30. I have the resin and tape already so no additional costs there. Doesn't everyone that owns an old boat have some of this stuff?
Lastly, my opinion is that the plywood is intended to be a backing plate for the pedestal mount to reduce the possibility of f/g floor cracking when loads are on the wheel or pedestal. Additionally the 4 mounting bolts along with the tape on the edges make for an incredibly rugged set of rudder stops. My f/g floor is otherwise sound and there is no noticeable deflection or give in the floor with the plywood removed. Gluing wood to the underside of the cockpit floor will do very little to stiffen the floor. Of course your boats may be different than mine. I do not know how consistently these boats were built.
Removing the rotten plywood was easy. The hard part was the aft half which was essentially fine and includes two wood blocks that serve as the rudder stops. This part was glued in place with a large blob of what appeared to have been thickened epoxy. Getting this part out was a major chore. Lots of patience, lying on my side, cutting, grinding and prying to eventually pop it loose.
The expected cost when all done will include about $15 for a quarter sheet of PT plywood and about $60 for a new set of four aluminum bolts from Edson. They're 12 bucks each + shipping. I plan to install the new piece the same way the original was done, with a blob at the aft half and some f/g tape along the sides and fwd edge. The original lasted 30 years so a replacement in kind should be goodfor another 30. I have the resin and tape already so no additional costs there. Doesn't everyone that owns an old boat have some of this stuff?
Lastly, my opinion is that the plywood is intended to be a backing plate for the pedestal mount to reduce the possibility of f/g floor cracking when loads are on the wheel or pedestal. Additionally the 4 mounting bolts along with the tape on the edges make for an incredibly rugged set of rudder stops. My f/g floor is otherwise sound and there is no noticeable deflection or give in the floor with the plywood removed. Gluing wood to the underside of the cockpit floor will do very little to stiffen the floor. Of course your boats may be different than mine. I do not know how consistently these boats were built.
i dont have this problem...at least not yet. i think if or when i do i would cut out the rotted plywood...lets say it's a 1 foot square. i would take a piece of starboard the same size and thickness of the plywood and glue it in place. i would then get a piece of 3/8 inch aluminum plate approx twice the dimension of the patch and thru bolt it . the starboard wont rot and the aluminum backing plate should give it penty of strength. if you use pan head bolts flush to the cockpit floor they should not present a problem for your feet. just a thought
I think that in the case of the 272's the cockpit floor does not drain to the drain at the aft
end of the cockpit. Even with the addition of the wheel system and diesel, the water from rains is always standing in the cockpit of our boat....When we wash her we have to force the water to the stern and that is with two of us standing on the cockpit seats...do any other 272 owners have this problem? It certainly has to complicate the water leaking around the pedestal base. Pat
end of the cockpit. Even with the addition of the wheel system and diesel, the water from rains is always standing in the cockpit of our boat....When we wash her we have to force the water to the stern and that is with two of us standing on the cockpit seats...do any other 272 owners have this problem? It certainly has to complicate the water leaking around the pedestal base. Pat
Noanker has a good idea. In my case I waited too long to take this approach. The rot extended to the edges of the plywood which I deemed bad enough to take the brute-force-and-ignorance approach, combined with the just-rip-the-whole-thing-out attitude. I had been aware if the problem since I bought the boat 6 years ago. I had contemplated addressing it each year but there were other more important needs, not the least of which is my need to launch this baby each year and sail it. For reasons still undetermined the area affected seemed to triple in size last season. Old boats mean endless lists of projects. I guess working on them keeps me out of trouble otherwise. Springime in Vermont, sun is shining today, heading out to the boatyard for a few hours.
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