c27 bulkhead integrity

[Chris]

I have an 1975 C27 and am wondering if anyone has any good ideas about how to test the integrity of the bulkheads without pulling the chainplates. I don't see any visible signs of decay and things seem solid but after a quarter century...Anyone with any ideas about how to check this?

 

[LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners]

My suggestion

I'm going to just replace 'em. I have a '73 and like you, everything seems ok except...the other day I noticed a little water at the bottom of the hanging locker. Uh oh. All of my deck hardware has been rebed so I'm guessing it's coming from the upper chainplates. Everyone says that Catalina really didn't do that great a job at bedding these so there's a great liklihood of potential problems. I'll be replacing the bulkheads sometime this spring. It should be too difficult. I'll use a sheet of nice mahogony veneered plywood that I can get for under $100 & use the current bulkheads as templates. I did some preliminary measuring & they should both fit on one sheet. Seal the edges with epoxy, varnish the face, paint the "ugly side" & voila! Peace of mind.LaDonna

 

[Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO]

One Sheet

LaDonna, I'm going to do mine too but when I measured them it appeared that doing bot bulkheads on one sheet would leave the grain in the veneer vertical on the long (starboard) bulkhead vertical but I'd have to make the short (port) bulkhead with the grain horizontal which I thought would look wierd. Right now I'm considering using MDF (medium density fiberboard) and putting a pale tan laminate on one side of the port bulkhead and both sides of the starboard one. Can you get both bulkheads out of one sheet with the veneer vertical on both? Any ideas on MDF in the boat? It is pretty weather resistant as they make highway signs out of it.Cheers,Garry

 

[Kevin McGrath]

Catalina 27 Bulkheads

Do not use MDF on the bulkheads. The bulkheads are in tension when loaded and the MDF will break. It does not have longitudinal strength. Use Marine plywood and seal the ends with West epoxy. The bulkheads anchor the chain plates, so don't go cheap. I made my from 1/2 inch Marine plywood and laminated on vertical grade formica. I used white, and It made the boat look twice as large.

 

[Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO]

MDF

Kevin, Thanks for the info. Plywood it will be.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners]

Quick sketch

I really did VERY fuzzy math on this. I just did a quick measurement of the widest & highest points of each bulkhead. Added them together & I had 2" leftover - both vertical. I would, of course do a little more detailed measurements before actually buying/cutting! Let me know how you make out.LaDonna

 

[Bill Lucas]

So your the lucky one!

If your bulkheads show no signs of water damage at the chainplates or on the bottoms consider yourself lucky and continue to do whatever you've been doing to keep them dry and from falling apart. Otherwise replace using good plywood and sealing all the edges.