Back in the saddle?

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Well last year I definitively (I hope) traced my deck depression to the left of the mast to soft core UNDER the mast, likely due to the mast wiring by S2 when they made the boat, NOT the VHF antenna wire next to it, as I originally thought.

So the work order for dropping the mast is in place. Then I will get a better look at things and start surgery. I am hoping that the area is a reasonable size. I also hope to be able to make a reasonable gel coat match as the final finish.

But a big part of this is also how much work to do on the mast while it is down. The back stay is recent, but all the other stays are likely original. A big expense would be replacing the Hood Seafurl with a new one. The windex is shot. The mast wiring has been bad for years and needs replacing. A new VHF antenna is likely in order, as well as some new light fixtures. I have two new halyards already, but I likely need a third for the drifter. All for a boat I may decide to sell shortly with 9.2A prices down about $5K from ten years ago when I bought it!

And I still need to finish the water tank replacement, among other things.
 
Apr 27, 2011
423
S2 9.2A Newport News, VA
I can't help you with the gelcoat match as my efforts have been way off. Better than exposed fiberglass, though!
If you're thinking of replacing the masthead light, let me know. I am thinking of going on a group cruise that requires a tri-color masthead light. I found an LED one that also incorporates an anchor light. Works on two-conductor wiring by simply reversing polarity. Kinda slick. Not super HD, but I think more than adequate.

Great to have you back, even if it's not under the best of circumstances.

John
 

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Okay. I have concluded that the mast step MUST be bad and that the deck under the mast probably is too. Mast comes down next week and exploratory cabin sole surgery is ongoin.
 

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Well, I decided I had literally nothing to lose when I began my surgery. The teak and holley sole is pretty shot anyways. So with a vibratory saw I cut an opening over the area be able to see what is going on. I also have a surveyor coming out to meter the deck and give me some further insight.
 

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BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Well the step sure is solid, but the head door doesn't even come close to hitting the stop. But there is no evidence the it ever has as the stop is in mint uncontacted condition. The step may be bedded n some failing material but there is nothing really obvious.
 

mm2347

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Oct 21, 2008
241
oday 222 niagara
It is probable that the sole or floor where the corner post sits has sagged. With no support the mast step sagas, then the glass cracks, water gets in and you have a rotten mess. I have repaired two 8 meter S2s that came in w/ the first a floor (sole) repair and the 2nd one to have the mast step repaired. Both ended up w/ the same overall problems and prob. the same as you are finding.
It starts with the underside of the plywood sole. It is supported only by the sides of the the keel and hull. There has been only bare unfinished plywood on the undersides of the S2s I have seen and no support in the middle. The corner post sits about in the middle of the span. You need a spanning brace from side to side to support the sole. From there away you go. Before starting check all areas that are cored. Don't be afraid of using polyester resins with repair. I am not anti expoy as it has its place. Its place is just not alway the best to use, but always the most expensive to use. Talk with the people at Express Composites. They sell and have sold resin and fiber reinforcements for many years and will sell in small amounts and take the time to talk to you.
In the end you may have to invest a lot of labor and money and ask is it worth it? Start w/ the best estimate you can get. Take some time and then go for what you want within what you can give.
 

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
The boat is probably worth $15k at best. Which is why I am getting a survey kf the damage done. The step looks lretty solid but the deck is definitely failing under the
Mast. Probably plywood.
 

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
As you can see in the photos, the sole seem well supported, but I wonder if the plywood got wet (head is on the other side) and got compressed. I have a new boroscope to try out and the mast is coming down soon. I will get a good look then. I can check the mounting holes for the mast step plate for rot, check the blocking under the compression post with my boroscope and then develop a game plan to readjust everything appropriately.
 

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Update. Mast is down. The divot that was in the deck is mostly gone. If anything the spot in the deck next to the divot, supported ny the bulkhead maybe a bit proud so shimming the support post seems like I'd be going the wrong way. And the head door isn't any closer to hitting the door stop with the mast down and there isn't any physical evidence on it or the door that they have ever been intimate. There is a mark on the railing where it hits now though. I must admit that I am tempted to conclude that the failure of the head door to hit the stop might not be any more than an indication of poor build quality in 1981! Forgot my boroscope. Survey of the deck later this week. I may have cut my boat up for nothing! But I should be so lucky lol!
 

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Surveyor visit today. No real surprises. Mast step is wet and needs replacing if I do anything. Deck the starboard a bit damp but he wasn't concerned about it structurally. Some wetness around the chain plates but strucurally sound. Blocking under the compression post was fine. I will probably replace the standing rigging. Sad thing is he said that the bottom is dropping out of the old sailboat market. He said, like golf and baseball, Millenials just aren't into sailing because it is slow. What boats they do buy are new and shiny.
 

BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
I can't recall it ever hitting the atopand the stop looks like it never has been hit. Canonly conclude it never was aligned to hit it fom day 1! It was 1981 after all.

Today I cut open the mast step to remove the wet core. Found a half inch steel plate instead of soggy plywood. I was wondering what the bolt holes were tapped into. Now I know!

Pretty much had concluded that major deck surgery wasn't worth it. I just never found mich wet core at all. Not when i pulled the shower track. Not when I pulled the deck blocks.

I think the divot in the deck was due to delamination in the core wet by the old vhf cable leak compounded by a lack of support in that specific area.
 

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BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
I told the surveyor and he said to photograph it and button it back up. So I am going to grind the plate clean, treat it with a phosphoric acid anti rust agent, clean it, dry it and put it back together with a 12:1 fairing for strength. Regarding the deck divot, it disappeared with the mast down, so I now think that the hole for the VHF cable (may the previous owner get a case of insufferable jock itch for being a tool and popping a 1/4 hole through the deck improperly) is at fault. While it doesn't seem to have caused extensive core rot, it did apparently cause delamination destroying the structural integrity in the area of the divot (in red in the photo) in the deck.

So along with the other work I will re-route the VHF cable through the metal tube the other wiring passes through. I will also pour epoxy into the VHF hole to hopefully restore integrity to the area. I am also thinking of blocking the area underneath (tan outline in the photo).
 

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BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Update. Ground the metal plate down. Ground back the edges. Treated the plate with navel jelly. Then started putting it back together. Layers of biaxial and woven mat with thickened epoxy on Tuesday. Washed off the amine blush, some sanding with 80 grit then leveled it with "peanut butter" thickened epoxy. Also drilled the cause of all my pain and suffering...the improperly executed vhf cable hole next to the mast...out to 3/4"...cleaned out some rotten core..rinsed with acetone...and filled it. I haven't decided if I will bother putting the vhf cable back in a more appropriate location. I don't use it, but a future owner would appreciate it.
 

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BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Gelcoating could have gone better. First I bought one of those kits with all the colors, but didn't realize that gelcoat paste...is well...pasty. Color match was good but didn't coat well and ended up sanding it all back off. Try number two went much better. I used waxed white gelcoat and yellow and brown colorants from the first kit. Take your time to get a decent match, but don't expect perfection due to differences in luster (nice new gelcoat vs. your chalky old decks). No problems with gelcoating over epoxy. Just wait until the epoxy is fully cured then sand with 80 grit and wipe with acetone. The gelcoat fills in all scratches and you get a good bond. I had about a 20 minute pot life, so I coated and recoated it about three times. In hindsight I should have done more, because the angles of the plateau were easy to sand through and I didn't get the layer as thick as I thought. Sanding with 150 to get the highs than 220, 320, 400, 600 and 1000 took its toll. I will have to go back over it later, but at least I was able to get the mast plate back on so I can get the mast up soon. I didn't go too crazy sanding where the plate was going to end up. In hindsight I should have put a stub of PVC over the wires to maintain a clean chase. My next task is to replace those wires because I found that they are short lengths which are butt connected in the head "closet". Plus I ran 12 AWG in the mast and the wires are 14 AWG causing me match up issues with the water proof plug I bought. The headaches never stop! I cleaned the back of the stainless plate, ran the bolts down the holes to make sure the threads were clear, then mounted the plate with 4200. Note that the plate holes and bolt holes left literally no leeway for adjustment and the plate ended up looking a little crooked on the step, but I laid a board across it and it is 95% straight fore and aft. Looking back at old pictures and it always was this way, I just didn't notice it. Gave me a fright though!
 

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BobM

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Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
There was no way I was going to try painting my black anodized mast given time constraints. I did wipe it down with Woodywax and then a clean microfiber cloth. It should last a little while and cleaned the mast as well. It was hopefully worth the fifteen minutes it took to do. On the advice of the surveyor I didn't replace all the stays either. Work is slow and I didn't have the extra $1000 around anyways. But I did clean all the terminals, which has some surface rust, with Barkeepers friend and some 0000 steel wool (should have used brass or a scotch brite pad, but oh well). I then rinsed them off good with water. Then I cleaned the threads with carb cleaner and reassembled with fresh lubricant (Tefgel). No visible cracks anywhere or broken strands. I reused the Perko lights but put new bulbs in and new lenses (~$20 each). I used crimp on heat shrink terminals, because I struck out trying to solder using a butane soldering iron and was just running out of time. The only connections I need to make now are at the deck and foot of the mast.
 
Apr 27, 2011
423
S2 9.2A Newport News, VA
Looking good, Bob. I had my first go at gelcoating this past spring (boy, do I envy those whose boats have decent rub rails), had a local expert help me out. He used blue, yellow, and red dye, I think, and it's pretty far off (bluish). I think I'll retry it next spring with just the yellow and brown, as you've done. Still, I've been impressed with how sturdy the new gelcoat is, and the fiberglass certainly has more protection than without it. I've not had your issue with the head door, as it swings out and hits the stop just as it should, I think, as there's just the right amount of friction, fully open, to hold it in place. That said, I did need to rasp the bottom of the door, sort of beneath the door handle, as it was getting tighter and tighter against the threshold, so I may have some issues there. Since the rasping, though, it opens and closes nicely. Have you given any thought to painting the mast while it's down? Mine needs it badly. I Rustoleumed the boom last summer, which looks pretty okay, I think, but I'd probably want to do something more professional on the mast itself.

John
 
Apr 27, 2011
423
S2 9.2A Newport News, VA
You answered my question about mast painting while I was typing it. I, too, replaced the steaming light's lens, which made a huge difference. I went with a pretty sturdy-looking non-marine LED bulb. The marine LED I bought for that fixture assumes it's a stern light and radiates as if the fixture were horizontal instead of vertical, so it wouldn't do.