Getting nervous

[BobM]

The depression in my deck at the base of the mast is really bothering me. There was definitely some moisture there during my prepurchase survey from where the mast wiring passes through. Water was pooling there when I was cleaning the deck. Dropping the mast would open a real can of worms from a work perspective as it could use painting and rewiring on top of replacing the rigging and what looks like putting a block under the mast support post and now perhaps recoring the deck under the mast. Ouch. And me with no time at all.

 

[BobM]

Took a chance

Just picked up a Ryobi pinless moisture meter from ebay for $30 new in package. $52 on amazon but I saw a review where someone went behind a surveyor with a much more expensive meter and got decent results. I just want to check around the mast versus some dry areas to get an idea of how bad things are. If I have to fix it, I really want to get an idea of how big an area is affected.

 

[shemandr]

What did you find inspecting the mast support post? Have you had to tighten the rig?

 

[caguy]

I have used similar stuff on a Model A floor boards that were rotting. I did not want to lift the body from the frame and the wood that was there was intact but rotted. I applied this stuff and the wood soaked it right up. I'm not sure if CPES is water based but the stuff I got from Lowes was a water based polymer, resin or epoxy I don't remember which. But it very thin. The capillary action of the wood soaked it right up and it hardened solid.

http://www.rotdoctor.com/products/cpes.html

 

[woodster]

I have used similar stuff on a Model A floor boards that were rotting. I did not want to lift the body from the frame and the wood that was there was intact but rotted. I applied this stuff and the wood soaked it right up. I'm not sure if CPES is water based but the stuff I got from Lowes was a water based polymer, resin or epoxy I don't remember which. But it very thin. The capillary action of the wood soaked it right up and it hardened solid.

http://www.rotdoctor.com/products/cpes.html

its resin/solvent based and it tastes funny this is good stuff but you must have the material 100% dry when using it or you will be sorry ....it could take weeks to dry out the filler in a sandwich on the deck best thing is to open it up and do it the correct way the compression post and deck is part of your wind powered engine and it needs to be treated/repaired with that in mind there are no short cuts ...only in an emergency to get back to a afe harbor or port

 

[BobM]

I agree

The only way to do it is to dig out any mushy core, if it is that bad...which I think it probably is. I will try the meter on it and take it from there. I thought about trying to fix it from below but I don't want to have to remove the bulkhead and it is probably wet over the bulkhead as the depression is on the port side.

Bob

 

[woodster]

The only way to do it is to dig out any mushy core, if it is that bad...which I think it probably is. I will try the meter on it and take it from there. I thought about trying to fix it from below but I don't want to have to remove the bulkhead and it is probably wet over the bulkhead as the depression is on the port side.

Bob

go inside the head and there is a trim cover up next to the ceiling on the bulkhead take it down and look for problems there if it is wet you will have to do something inside as well hope it not but sound like it is ...in that area there is a wooden beam that goes from the compression post all the way over to the port side wall by the window just above the teak plywood on that wall it is pretty beefy ...thats a good place to investigate

 

[BobM]

Meter arrived but no time to try it out this week as we will be on vacation in Cancun. It detected 100% water in a paper towel I put under a 1/2" thick plastic cutting board and read some interior oak at 30%. I am sure my marina manager will complain if he has other boats ready to go in, but last weekend the boat blocking mine hadn't even pulled his shrink wrap off.

I will meter the deck around the mast and have it pulled if it is wet. If wet I will rewire the mast, change the light fixtures, the winded, the halyards, check the sheaves and replace if necessary, replace the standing rigging, excepting the backstay, which is new, and consider a new furler. My Hood Seafurl works fine but it likely should be replaced just as a precaution.
I will also cut open the deck, replace the bad core, close it up and build a new mast step. Woody, you wouldn't have dimensions would you?

The one job I don't know if I will tackle is a complete mast repaint. I just don't know if I have it in me, to be frank, and I would easily double my downtime. I thought about touching it up. It is black.

 

[woodster]

What dimensions are you wanting Bob As for the mast paint it with penetril

 

[jguyer]

Bob. I went through the same thing with my 8.5. I re cored a section of deck behind the mast 58 x 40 inches , 10 inches of both side decks and a 10 x 10 section under my port rope clutches. I did all this from inside the cabin. I also installed an inspection hatch in me cabin sole behind my compression post. Luckily the "compression post" and the structures under it looked good .
My advice to you ... First of all, if you haven't had any need to tighten your rig, the supporting structures under your mast are 'probaly' ok. Your boat is thirty some years old. The deck probaly has been wet/rotted for the last few years. I don't think another season in this condition will make much difference. This is not a project that will take a few days or even weeks. I started my project in September. IM STILL WORKING ON IT!!! (Re bedding and re drilling, took apart my mast head yesterday... The deck is done) So .... Finally to my first point. This is a big project. The kind that WILL grow as you go. ( I didn't plan on re coring my side decks) What you need to do is decide if you want to sail your boat this season... Or work on your boat this season!!!! This is a great winter project.
Second... If you decide to re core from inside it it possible to re core the deck over a bulk head with out removing the bulk head. It's just a matter of cutting the top inch or 2 of the bulk head. Then, Replacing the top 2 inches when done.
Third... The dimple in my deck right behind the mast was a result of the core beiing rotted to mush, not the mast pressing into the deck. I did nothing with my mast step, just re cored the deck, and now my deck has its beautiful convex shape. No dimple!
As a side comment, the deck rot in my 8.5 was primarily caused by screwes holding the complain way hatch cover. I never would have suspected this. After removing all screws I still can't get the damm cover off . I'll probably just fill the holes with epoxy and call it good.
Fourth...I am very happy with and proud the way my deck turned out. I would love to talk or write about specifics of the project. I just haven't had time. My boat went in the water yesterday. I have a slip for the summer, And the mast is off.
Hope that helps.
Jeff

 

[BobM]

Woody, I was hoping you had something for the nice mast step you built.

 

[woodster]

Woody, I was hoping you had something for the nice mast step you built.

if you are talking about the tabernacle plate/deck organizer i can get the dimensions...or you can buy one from garhauer ...my buddy bought one and it is really cool for the product and the money

 

[BobM]

Jeff, thanks for sharing. I am not looking forward to trying my new meter on the deck. I know what areas were damp six years ago when I bought her. I sure hope the area under the mast isn't as widespread as yours! I know the deck around the chain plates was damp. I would love to do the work from inside. Did you put the material head liner back?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Have you read Maine Sail's meter topic on his website?

 

[jguyer]

Bob. My plan is to put the head liner back up. however part of me wants to just leave it bare. Hate to cover all the work I did . Regardless, I'm not that far yet. Hopfully this weekend I will get the chain plates in and rope clutches in and bedded. I need am going to reinforce the chain plate bulkheads with biaxial glass and replace the top 2 inches of the wood first.
I am also thinking about adding a center hand rail along the cabin roof. Also, there is the matter of the mast, cleaning and finally recarpeting.
Anyway... I am planning on crusing from Milwaukee to the northern parts of the lake. 500 miles total. I have 19 days starting July 18th. Well... IM GETTING NERVOUS that my Boat won't be ready !

 

[topcat0399]

Bob. My plan is to put the head liner back up. however part of me wants to just leave it bare. Hate to cover all the work I did . Regardless, I'm not that far yet. Hopfully this weekend I will get the chain plates in and rope clutches in and bedded. I need am going to reinforce the chain plate bulkheads with biaxial glass and replace the top 2 inches of the wood first.
I am also thinking about adding a center hand rail along the cabin roof. Also, there is the matter of the mast, cleaning and finally recarpeting.
Anyway... I am planning on crusing from Milwaukee to the northern parts of the lake. 500 miles total. I have 19 days starting July 18th. Well... IM GETTING NERVOUS that my Boat won't be ready !

Sounds like a great trip planned - you just need to prioritize:

Must Do
Should Do
Nice To Do

There is no shame in sailing in a construction boat.

I have had to recore nearly every core in our boat in the last few years
(just finished redoing under the mast step - again).

I've done them both from above and below and I far prefer doing them from above. Its really not that hard to make a repair from above be unnoticeable and under the mast/cabin top is one of the easiest.

Happy Sails

 

[BobM]

Stu, yes I have read it. I know that you get what you pay for but I didn't want to spend $200-300 up front. I got this meter for $30 off eBay sealed in its original packaging. So there is no risk from my perspective to using it to get a better idea of how wet things are and how big the area is. As I said, I checked some interior oak and got 30% water and a wet paper towel under a 1/2 inch plastic cutting board and got 100% water. I will
map out the area under the mast that reads > 50% to get a rough estimate of the wet area. I will compare it to areas that are unlikely to be wet on the doghouse and far from deck penetrations.

 

[BobM]

Finally checked my boat with the meter. I think I am screwed. The area is pretty big.

 

[BobM]

I am thinking of pulling the headliner and drilling some weep holes in the cabins inner skin to verify the size of the area. Of course I could sound it with mallet too. The area inside the blue tape was 70+% according to the meter... which seed to work quite well.

 

[woodster]

Finally checked my boat with the meter. I think I am screwed. The area is pretty big.

from looking at the photo i am thinking the water came in through the deck penetration for your vhf cable