hi. Following a rough crossing of Florida Bay with some pounding my 2003 - 356 has developed an annoying creak in the rear starboard bulkhead separating the galley from the aft cabin. It happens when the boat rolls. Anyone experience this in the past.
Creaky bulkhead
- Thread starter Bill2016
- Start date
Had this happen on a Coronado 25 I used to own. In my case it was a tab. Simple fix once you find it. Grind out the old tab with a dremmel, then put three or four strips of epoxy whetted fiberglass onto some plastic sheeting.... make each strip a little larger and start with the smallest one first. Then slap the plastic sheeting in where you want the tab and tape it in place. Once the resin sets, you can sand fair and paint. It is a two hour job with a 40 min break in the middle while the resin sets. I'm not sure I described that well. So, I found these images on this web site http://www.pbo.co.uk/expert-advice/repairing-holes-in-grp-26713
The same idea works for a tab. Just need to put the plastic sheet in the corner between the hull and the bulkhead. Tape the sheet in place. The sheet has an added advantage of ease. You can wet out the fiberglass on the flat bench top. Squeege out the excess resin, ,roll up the sheet and walk to the boat, unroll, slap it all in place. The sheet also gets the final surface much more smooth so less sanding later.
The same idea works for a tab. Just need to put the plastic sheet in the corner between the hull and the bulkhead. Tape the sheet in place. The sheet has an added advantage of ease. You can wet out the fiberglass on the flat bench top. Squeege out the excess resin, ,roll up the sheet and walk to the boat, unroll, slap it all in place. The sheet also gets the final surface much more smooth so less sanding later.
I've fixed 18 creaks on my boat of which 10 where on bulkheads and none of them were tabs. Most where missing caulking between the bulkhead and deck liner. Look there first. If so, fix is simple, jam something between the two to create separation and fill with caulking. One was a loose piece of plywood got down into the gap. Another was a defect in the liner, unfortunately on the top side, that was rubbing on a bulkhead.
Indeed, most larger modern production boats don't have tabs. The inner hull liner is chemically bonded to the hull, and bulkheads are fixed into grooves in the liner with adhesive.
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Did not mean to give the impression mine doesn't have tabs. The two major structurally bulkheads are tabbed and I am sure the other two minor structurally ones are too. I had to repair one after an accident 10 years ago. Just saying they don't creak, even after 30k+ offshore miles (don't know how many the first 5 owners used it offshore in 9 years). My creaks were due to something else so that is why I suggest checking on exactly where it is coming from and keep an open mind as to what could be causing it. I had to cut away at the deck liner in 3 spots to get to the source of some of mine.
I have a sister boat, (2003 H356) and experience the same issue in the same place. After putting up with it for years, one day I took a look under the Stove / fridge area. Access was by the floor storage area located in front of the stove. I noticed a gap between the outer edge of stringer (foundation beams for the floor which are fiberglassed onto the hull) & the built in furniture. I made a wedge & glued in in with Sickaflex adhesive. now creaking seems much less.
By the way, do you get water in your bilge after sailing is strong breeze?
By the way, do you get water in your bilge after sailing is strong breeze?
Franklin;
Jim Seamans whose boat was called JAVA which was a Hunter 356 who wrote a lot of articles in this forum. I would search there.
Anyone who can direct Franklin to his blog please advise. Thanks. I was Jim’s dealer and with his death, many of us here lost a great friend as Jim and I respected each other as if brothers v
Jim Seamans whose boat was called JAVA which was a Hunter 356 who wrote a lot of articles in this forum. I would search there.
Anyone who can direct Franklin to his blog please advise. Thanks. I was Jim’s dealer and with his death, many of us here lost a great friend as Jim and I respected each other as if brothers v
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?members/jim-seamans.4/
Looks like his blog has evaporated.
Looks like his blog has evaporated.