17ft daysailor compression post

Tom55

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Jul 16, 2018
2
Oday 17ft Day Sailer Virginia Beach
Hi,
Has anyone had a compression post failure? Actually I had an UNDER the compression post failure as in we almost sank. Just curious if its this boat or a class problem.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
OH No, another "Monday, Friday, or day before/after a holiday" boat! Did your mast step suddenly crack through the cuddy "floor" causing the mast to drop down a few inches?? Happened to me (and a few other DS II owners!) and let me tell you, the BANG when the previous owner's inadequate repair let go was a bit frightening, even to a seasoned sailor!! Apparently, on some boats, the plastic pipe that is placed under the maststep to carry the load of the mast down pressure to the inside of the hull was misplaced, mine was about 3" or so forward of the mast step! I fixed it initially by adding an aluminum plate (about 12" square) between the mast step and the cuddy floor (had to remount the CB lifting control line as well, I tapped the plate and used short machine screws in place of the original sheet-metal screws to secure the eye-strap and block). The 3/4" plywood under the cuddy floor (about 8" to 9" square, maybe a little bigger?) had also rotted out over the years prior to my purchasing the boat and I ended up cutting an access panel to one side and aft of the mast step to allow me to replace that. About 8-9 years later I discovered the plywood that I put in had also rotted out (I guess I had not saturated it enough with Epoxy), this time I rebuilt the area correctly with a larger plywood panel and I move the pipe so that it is now directly under the mast step, coincidentily also raising that area of the cuddy floor and thus the mast step a couple of inches (area had sagged down sue to pipe not really being tall enough once the plywood between it and the underside of the cuddy floor had disintergrated.)

I hope I'm not scaring you, this is not a catastrophic failure, but will require some possible rebuilding under the cuddy floor. For now, adding a metal plate under the mast step may keep you going until more permanent repairs can be decided on. However, if you actually have any cracks in the hull due to this failure......... repairs are more pressing! Here are a few pics of my boat to show (sort-of) my repairs. If I can offer any advice, guidance, let me know! I could take some more pictures of my boat, but right now I am 40 miles from her and may not get aboard until Sunday. I have added another drawing, showing the approximate location of the support structure under the cuddy floor (foam-filled fiberglass "beams").
 

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Tom55

.
Jul 16, 2018
2
Oday 17ft Day Sailer Virginia Beach
Wow! Thanks for your reply and solution, I appreciate it! I'm going to copy it.

By the way, is the drain with the ball in it on the bottom of the boat for draining the covered spaces? This double hull thing is kind of weird...
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
The bailer that looks like the one on a SUNFISH, drains the water that gets into the cockpit, the ball I suppsed to stop water from flowing back in, but well, it really doesn't! I keep mine plugged while sailing and only open it when moored, it will allow rainwater to drain while I'm not aboard. The screw-in plug at or near the bottom of the transom on the outside is to drain the space between the hull and deck (bilge under cockpit and cuddy "floor". The 1" plug (typical drain plug like many trailerable boats have) drains the cockpit, but is too high up to fully drain all water, I haven't really figured the purpose of that yet, but I guess if the cockpit were swamped (filled with water) it will certainly drain a lot of the water faster than the bailer!
 

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Mar 2, 2019
2
Daysailor 16 Rye New Hampshire
The bailer that looks like the one on a SUNFISH, drains the water that gets into the cockpit, the ball I suppsed to stop water from flowing back in, but well, it really doesn't! I keep mine plugged while sailing and only open it when moored, it will allow rainwater to drain while I'm not aboard. The screw-in plug at or near the bottom of the transom on the outside is to drain the space between the hull and deck (bilge under cockpit and cuddy "floor". The 1" plug (typical drain plug like many trailerable boats have) drains the cockpit, but is too high up to fully drain all water, I haven't really figured the purpose of that yet, but I guess if the cockpit were swamped (filled with water) it will certainly drain a lot of the water faster than the bailer!
 
Mar 2, 2019
2
Daysailor 16 Rye New Hampshire
So my day sailor sat covered unused for 10 or so years--it was covered but not well. I put it in the water this past fall and sailed nice for about 20 minutes that we noticed it was fill up with water. Looked like it was coming in by the retractable keel. We managed to get it ashore and on the trailer--I opened the two watertight compartments and they were completely full of water. Took it to be repaired and he said he fixed a couple of cracks but did not see anything that major. Took the boat after the repair and the motor would not start and the water tight comportments one on each side of keel completely full of water. Boat weighed a ton, but managed to trailer it and drain it again (took for ever). Took it back and he made additional patch--but said he did not understand where the water was coming from. I asked it could be from the plug under the plug that drains the cockpit--he said no that it water would have to flow up to be a problem. Winter was upon us so I did not put in water again. I think it has something to the lower drain because that was where all the water is coming out of--it shot out. The boat is plastic wrapped so I could not take photo of it. but will when winter passes. Any ideas? Thanks so much.

Rob
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Is the drain for the bilge (small, threaded pug on outside of transom) plugged? I mean is the plug inserted and tight? What year is this DS II? If 1979 or older has the gasket around the pivot bolt for the centerboard (not a retractable keel, no ballast inside, so it is a simple centerboard) Is the bolt loose? That pivot hole for the CB can bring in a lot of water if not sealed. If your boat is 1980 or newer, than there is not pivot bolt, the CB pivots on a plastic pin that I inserted from below and held in by 2 wedges that are held in by a pair of stainless-steel plates screwed to the bottom of the boat, one on each side of the CB trunk. Those screw holes might leak if they are loose or poorly sealed, but shouldn't bring in that much water so quick! What condition is the sealant around the plastic self-bailer fitting near the stern? Very unlikely...but not impossible that water could leak in around that, either from under boat or from water in cockpit. When spring comes and you can put boat in the water, I'd suggest opening the inspection/bailing ports in the cockpit sole and observe any evidence of leaking. Prior to that, when you take the Winter cover off, open those inspection ports and (if boat is 1979 or older) use 2 wrenches, one on each side of CB trunk, try to tighten the pivot bolt. That MIGHT at least reduce your leaking. You may need to replace those gaskets (less than $10 for the pair from D&R Marine, www.drmarine.com ).

The water all came out of the drain plug on the stern because that is the only drain hole for the bilge area (between hull and deck). I don't think your repair guy understands leaks like this , as I fail to see how water would need to flow up to leak in through the bilge drain, most of the bilge is lower than that drain. I'm including a picture of my boat's stern to be sure I am talking about the same plug.
 

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