Bulkhead question on 26 by Keith

[Shoaldrafter]

Keith,

Just a little rot/water damage just might be repairable. First you have to decide that question.

Consider how bad the damage is. Does it go all the way thru or is the damage just around bolt heads. Are all the bolts weakened or say just two?

If you decide that it can be repaired you need to get mildew killed. Then you need an epoxy paste made with long fibers and not micro fibers.

First you dry out then apply penetrating epoxy. As soon as epoxy is dry to touch you apply and fill with long fiber epoxy paste. Fair after dry and refill as necessary. After surface repaired, redrill bolt holes.

Keep in mind that epoxy can be tinted. Tint all epoxies used to approximate color of finish. After surface faired prime with a primer designed to stick to epoxy and tint that primer to match. Finish with top coat tinted to match.

Use the same techniques for bottom edge of bulkhead that fits in grove on floor. You will have to raise bulkhead a fraction to fix that part that rest in groove. And you will need to have something between area of bottom edge and floor so as not to get epoxy and paint on floor.

Ed K
26

 

[Shoaldrafter]

Keith asked, "Can the epoxy be applies with the bulkhead inplace?" That is the whole object of repairing with epoxy. If you take bulkhead out, then it is 100% better to replace. However to remove that bulkhead you have a problem with requires cutting the tabbing off the hull wall which requires removing the fiber wall covering.

As to stains on the fiber wall covering there are many who have torn out all that covering and replaced. There are others who have painted over the stained wall covering with acceptable results.

Remember that O'Day 26 is an update to the 25. It is similar in constuction and design to 23 and 27. So you have to evaluate advice from all those boats and others. I could not find Appleman's pictures in archives either. It was posted before the web site update and apparently a lot was lost in the update.

Joe's boat is a 222. His bulkhead is not the same as yours. His reinforcement will not work for the 26. You have a different design on the whole of the bulkhead. However, his idea of reinfocement is great. Just you would have to design a reinforcement that would work for the 26.

The deck fitting leakage issue is common to all O'Days of that time period. Every boat 25, 26 and 23 that I have been on have has that issue. Most have rotted or damaged bulkheads. It may just be a yearly maintenance issue to reseal. A flexible caulk such as silicone or polysulfide seems to be the answer. Maybe the flexible epoxies will work.

The reason is obvious. Every time the pressue on the mast changes there is flexing at that attachment point. After constant flexing the sealant or caulk eventually separates from one of the harder surfaces and you get a leak. If the fitting is left for a couple of years without checking and resealing, then you have all the issues we see with these boats.

As to epoxy rebuild, the instuctions of the manufacturers suggest drilling small holes in area to be repaired to allow penetrating or thin epoxy to soak into wood. Just use common sense. Liquid runs downhill so drill holes downhill. Use your technicque to build dam so it does not run all the way down panel. But any that runs down panel will soak into panel and strengthen that part. Use rag and solvent to mop up. Do applications in very small amounts to minimize volume.

As to epoxy works website, the have a resource page where projects are documented. Also, there are others who have posted to the web rebuild projects and other companies have documentation on their web sites.

As to color sites, here is a company that sells pigment in small plastic jars:

http://www.uscomposites.com/pigments.html

http://www.fgci.com/

Color matching Gel Coat, there are several companies, here is one:

http://www.minicraft.com/Retail/McKote.htm

Also, D&R can supply correct gel coat colors.

Are you going to paint your boat? Want to be able to find it in the dark of night? See:
http://glowinc.com/

Ed K
26

 

[Joe11688]

Ed,
One of my friends in the club owns an O'Day 26, but I have to admit that I've never really took the time to examine the cabin, particularly the main bulkhead where the chain plates are mounted. So I really have no idea of what is involved in replacing the bulkhead on this boat. The reason that I went with the oak bulkhead reinforcement on my boat was because it was easier to do without getting involved with epoxy. My epoxy work skills are very poor, but my boat carpentry skills are a little bit above below average, making the latter a better choice for me.
Joe

 

[Shoaldrafter]

Joe,

The bulkhead on a 26 where his chain plate is attached is glass tabbed to the hull of the boat then the tabbing is covered by cloth that finishes the walls of the cabin. It is major surgery to cut out a bulkhead and reglass a new one in.

Appleman's pictures which are no longer available showed what is involved. I have also observed an O'Day 25 have this surgery. The difference between the 25 and 26 is 10 inches. And both are made the same in this area. That is at least 25's made after 1980 are the same. Keep in mind that changes were made from when the 25 was first designed until it was replaced by the 26. A few years ago there were pictures of a 1983 O'Day 25 and it looked like a 1984 O'Day 26. I guess you had to take a ruler out to tell the difference.

The forward bulkhead by the V berth resembles your pictures. Again, I think that a reinforcing panel in behind the main cabin would be a good idea. I considered adding an extension to the chain plate that would extend attachment lower. But that would require a machine shop to fabricate such device.

Ed K
26

 

[Shoaldrafter]

Keith,

We see a good amount of mildew on that bulkhead. How about some pictures without any mildew?

I would suggest that you do not want that chain plate too tight to deck as you suggested in your post, "I want a good fit to reduce chainplate movement when i am done." There is constant flexing from the mast. That is why it is attached to the bulkhead. Attaching to deck might cause deck to crack?

A flexible caulking or sealer is used in this type situation. Ask for other opinions. I am not a guru just a voice of reason in a cacophony of idle chatter.

Ed K
26