Catalina 36 bulkhead

[Sharky]

I have a Catalina 36 which seems to have some seperation of the bulkhead from the top of the headliner. The bulkhead in question is in the bathroom and the main salon. I am also missing the tiedown turnbuckle for the mast. Anybody else have similar problems.

 

[Mike s/v Chute the Breeze]

Bulkhead

Sharky, I don't think you have to worry about the seperation, they are non-load bearing bulkheads, but you might want to find out what is causing it to seperate??  I don't understand what you are refering to as the tiedown turnbuckle for the mast?? but if you have turnbuckles to tenision the hull side of your standing rigging and one is missing that could be where your shrouds are tring to pull your cabin top to the top of your mast and that's where the seperation is coming from?? I'm just guessing??Mike S. WD9EOUC-38 "Chute the Breeze"Michigan City, IN

 

[Sharky]

bulhead

The tiedown is for the mast inside the cabin. There is a pad eye about 10 inches from the mast on the headliner the turnbuckle goes from there at angle to the mast. There should be another padeye on the mast about 24 inches down from the headliner. It attaches the deck to the mast.

 

[Tom Soko]

Bulkhead

Sharkey,I would recommend you call Catalina Parts dept and get the turnbuckle and padeye to attach the deck to the mast. They are very important!!! They keep the halyards from pulling the deck off, which I think is your porblem. I would also release the halyard tension when you finish sailing at the end of the day. Continued halyard tension (especially jib) will continue to seperate the deck from the bulkhead.

 

[R. Scott]

Sugguest strongly that you replace the missing turn buckle. Tension from the shrouds tends to pull up on the deck, thus causing the bulkheands to seperate at top or bottom. Suggested fix: this is idealy done with no tension on the shrouds or the mast out (winter storage), lossen the bolts at the top and bottom of the bulkhead (the ones adajacent to the largest gap) gradully tighten the replaced turn buckle to close the gap as much as possible. Do this carefully as you can crack the head liner if you go to far. When gap is closed, retighten the bolts at the top an bottom of the bulkhead. Tighten shrouds as you would normally tune the rig. Perodically check the bolts at the bulkhead and tighten as necessary. Good Sailing,Bob ScottScott Freerscott130@cs.com