Can your bulkhead be secured too tight to the hull?

[Mich222]

I am mid process of switching out the tiny little U bolt chain plates on my Oday 222 and replacing these with Oday 25 Chain plates. I will then use a stainless steel grade 304 backing plate that will attach the chain plate to the pan (hull) as well as spread the load.

As part of the chainplate upgrade, I have found that the port and the starboard bulkhead both have some wiggle. Each bulkhead only has two bolts each to the pan (hull). The starboard bulkhead does have a few smaller screws (not through bolted) that are attached to a center post.

In order to minimize or get rid of the "wiggle" my thought is to use stainless L-Brackets through bolted to better secure the bulkhead to the pan (hull).

Question to all- Can the bulkhead be too tight? Is there any reason for the wiggle in the bulkhead??

 

[Ross]

It depends on whether or not the bulkhead is structrual. If the movement troubles you then fill the gap between the hull and the bulkhead with a high elongation caulk.

 

[48dodge]

Here's how my 222 was when I replaced the bulkheads. I had my interior completely stripped out for a couple years with no internal support so the top may have sagged down a little bit with me walking around. My new bulkheads were cut pretty closely to the old pieces with me filling in the blanks where it had rotted out. I had to push the ceiling up about 1/2" to fit the center post back in place, the bulkheads were in there pretty tightly as well. Like I said, the old ones had some rot and some delamination so they came out pretty easily. Also, I did some deck repair to the core around the chainplate ubolts so that helped tighten things up as well. My centerpost was thru-bolted through the deck (may have been something done by the PO but I kept it that way). I don't have the SS support post from the wood the the underside of the mast on my '84.

Are you saying you don't have L brackets attaching the Ubolts to the bulkheads? I replaced my smaller L brackets with some slightly longer thicker SS to secure things a little more.

The stock brackets only have 2 bolts through the bulkheads and are about half the length and probably a 1/16" or so thinner than what I replaced mine with.

 

[Mich222]

Hi 48 Dodge:
I had the complete 222 chainplate- U bolt an dinky little L bracket. I replaced that with the Oday 25 chainplate.

However- the starboard bulkhead is only attached with two thru-bolts to the settee/pan/hull. Port side also has only 2 through bolts. There is a fair amount of wiggle / or play to the bulkheads- I can move shake/wiggle them a bit in the bow to stern plane.

 

[48dodge]

I think I'm following you now. The 25 chainplates attach to the hull? If so you may want to find or Fab some of those small angles like what attaches your front bulkhead and just screw it in. Otherwise you could keep the chainplate Ls and just use them to secure it to the roof. Probably overkill but that would save you from having to repair holes in the bulkhead and deck. In hindsight I probably should've gone the same route you did but my chainplates should last for as long as I own my boat.