Bought our first boat

Feb 11, 2019
3
Bayliner 26 buccaneer Portland Oregon
661B145E-1225-4205-962D-60C76CB741CF.jpeg
Recently bought a Bayliner 26 foot sailboat. Noticed that the sidestay mount on the inside is connected to wood that has a lot of dry rot and needs to be replaced. Is this easy to do for someone who is decent at wood work? Here is a picture. Is it just that small piece or does it go through the wall? First post so thanks for reading.
 
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Oct 10, 2011
619
Tartan 34C Toms River, New Jersey
Can't tell from the photo, but would have to guess there is more to it then just that small pc. Sorry I don't know much about that particular boat. I am sure someone on this form does.
 

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Ok so side stays are attached to bad wood means the entire mast could come down. Hopefully someone with that boat knowledge will come forward, but I would replace the entire wood, probably have to drop the mast while doing it.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Hello @Jibegirl1313 and welcome to the forum.

It is hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like all three chainplates are attached to a single board and that board is attached to bulkheads by the bracket I circled in orange in your photo (see photo below). More pictures would be helpful but if I am interpreting the design correctly, you should be able to replace that rotten board rather easily by removing it from the existing brackets. Use the existing board as a template and cut out a new board. I would use white oak if possible. Make sure it is not red oak. Red oak rots too easily. Alternatively, you might want to use Starboard or some other plastic wood like Trex to replace the board. That way you would never have to worry about rot again.

The shrouds (side stays attached to those chainplates) are holding up your mast. So you probably need to take the mast down first.
upload_2019-2-11_16-50-45.png
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
May 17, 2004
5,028
Beneteau Oceanis 37 Havre de Grace
I also don't know the particulars of how Bayliners were built, but rgranger's interpretation of the picture makes sense to me. I'll add that while you're replacing that board you should re-bed the chainplates where they go through the deck, so more water can't come in and rot the new board. Inspect the other side and re-bed that while you're at it too.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Alternatively, you might want to use Starboard or some other plastic wood like Trex to replace the board. That way you would never have to worry about rot again.
Starboard would be a poor choice, while it won't rot, it is not a structural product. The chainplates exert forces measured in thousands of pounds and starboard is not up to the task. White oak would work. High quality plywood without voids and knots might also be a choice.

Are the chainplates on the starboard side installed in a similar manner? This may have been a repair. The reason I mention this is look at the bolt pattern at the forward end of the board. There are 2 bolts that are adjacent to each other. Drilling holes that close can weaken the board and it appears that the crack originates near those holes.

If the mast isn't down, it should be taken down and all the chain plates on both sides removed cleaned and rebedded, paying close attention to the coring in the deck and how the boards are attached to the bulkheads.

The highest loads on the boat are where the keel or keel/centerboard attach to the hull. The next highest are at the chainplates. There should also be a compression post under the mast step. This will help support the mast. When a rig is properly tensioned, the tension tries to shove the mast through the bottom of the boat. That force should be transferred to the keel, through the compression posts and the bulkheads and chainplates.

Keep us posted!
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Oct 26, 2008
6,043
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Yes, I agree with Dave, starboard or any wood composite other than a solid piece of hardwood or plywood would not be a good choice. Be sure to prevent water leakage, as suggested, and you won't have to worry about rot. Besides, you can paint it white with epoxy paints or something that will further prevent deterioration. You won't have to worry about it for many more years than you are likely to sail that boat. The original material, doesn't look very substantial, BTW.
 

FDL S2

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Jun 29, 2014
469
S2 7.3 Fond du Lac
Welcome to the forum! Is it a Bayliner Buccaneer by any chance? I sailed a few years on one and they aren't very fast but are very forgiving boats.

I would replace that piece like @rgranger suggests with white oak encapsulated in epoxy. You should be able to tell if it goes through the bulkheads (walls) by looking at where it butts up against them. Drop the mast before you begin and rebed the chainplates. This is a necessary repair that will give you confidence in your boat and your abilities.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,723
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
The cracks in the existing board don’t look like wood cracks to me...too symmetrical or something. A strong hard wood would be a good choice for this I would think.

As someone mentioned, it would be smart to find the leak that is causing the rot, and fix it.

I don’t think you have to drop the mast to fix this, but you need to secure the mast somehow (using a halyard maybe) to keep it from falling when the shroud is remove to fix the chain plate. This assumes you do it quickly and don’t leave the mast unsupported by the shroud more than a day while you are there.

Greg
 
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FDL S2

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Jun 29, 2014
469
S2 7.3 Fond du Lac
I don’t think you have to drop the mast to fix this, but you need to secure the mast somehow (using a halyard maybe) to keep it from falling when the shroud is remove to fix the chain plate. This assumes you do it quickly and don’t leave the mast unsupported by the shroud more than a day while you are there.
I rebedded my chainplates and replaced the wet core under the starboard one this past summer and didn't drop the mast. I supported the mast with both the main and jib halyards clipped to the toerail outboard from the chainplate. I felt confident doing this because my halyards were both less than a year old and I've owned the boat for 7 years and have done a lot of work on it. A new to me boat that I didn't know the history of, or the age of the halyards I would drop the mast to do this repair.

With the mast down it's a good time to inspect the spreaders, shrouds, windex and lights-important stuff to do on a boat you just bought.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Welcome to the forum and Pacific NW Sailing.

The Bayliner 26 is a fun forgiving boat to start your sailing adventures on the Columbia waters.

Both Dave (@dlochner ) and @rgranger have you headed in the right direction with the repair. Winter is the best time to get this done.

What type of DIY experience or boating experience do you guys have? I find that working with the mast on an old boat is generally safer with the mast down. It allows you more time to assemble parts and solve problems in the repair process. One of the challenges not explained to the new owner of an older boat is as you make repairs you may discover more issues that you want or need to fix. This is often called project creep. The mast is the foundation of your boats power. Old masts need care to assure the owner that it is ready to take the stresses of a sail in the Columbia gorge breeze. With the mast down you can check all the fittings, wires, lines, and base to give you confidence that the stick is ready for your safe sailing experience.

Let us know where your docked and how your getting acquainted with your new baby.

John,
Presently sailing in the Canadian Gulf Islands. Saturna island Temp 28, 5knts breeze, Snowing. Tied to the dock near the ferry pier. Awaiting sunrise.
 
Feb 21, 2010
330
Beneteau 31 016 St-Lawrence river
On the picture the forward chainplate has been pulled up one notch... this is probably for the lower forward stay. that would make it an emergency repair: I wouldn't use the boat until it is repaired. I would lower the mast ASAP: on a 26 foot boat this isn't difficult and you don't need a crane or other mechanical aid; a couple of helping friends suffice!
 
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Nov 1, 2017
635
Catalina 25 Sea Star Base Galveston, TX
how Bayliners were built
They were built similar to the Boston Whalers: Fiberglass shell with a foam core inside. Some say that you could saw the entire boat in half and it would still float! That being said, I'm pretty sure the wood is glassed to the inside of the cabin, reinforced by the bolts going through the shroud plates. If that wood was removed, replaced and re-glassed to its mount, that would probably do the trick. The reason I'm guessing this is because I know a guy who's been trying to sell his Bayliner 20, and it had a similar construction.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
On the picture the forward chainplate has been pulled up one notch... this is probably for the lower forward stay. that would make it an emergency repair: I wouldn't use the boat until it is repaired. I would lower the mast ASAP: on a 26 foot boat this isn't difficult and you don't need a crane or other mechanical aid; a couple of helping friends suffice!
I think @Caboteur is correct. I did not see that at first but it looks like the forward chainplate is no longer anchored at all. Fix this ASAP before the next big wind storm comes.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Welcome aboard jibegirl1313.
These guys know their stuff and are not shy about sharing.
Great advice you are getting. It shouldn't be hard to drop your mast on a boat like that, but, it shouldn't be necessary if you secure your shrouds to a temporary anchor while you work on it. It is a great chance to get to know the top of your mast and all points in between, though.
JSSailem's point about project creep isn't just a good point, you should expect it.
As far as the difficulty of the job, no. For someone with modest woodworking skills, you should feel confident that you can handle it. Assess, plan, supply, execute and reassess. And most of all, do what you are already doing, ask people who know.
Post pics of the work in progress. It would be good to see what you discover when you remove the old plate.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I'd drop the mast. If you had absolutely everything you needed to make the repairs, you could do it in one session, but we all know how that goes.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Marine plywood or G10 are the best choices. Hardwood ply would be next. Replace the board.