Looking at purchasing a 1984 O'Day 26'. Its in beautiful condition and is really equipped very well, with all the little extras, bimini, hood, roller furling, new genoa, upgraded winches etc... Its just what I have been searching for, and the price seems good including a very solid trailer. But in going over it very carefully, I see that the bolts on the starboard bulkhead that anchor the chain plate have had large washers put under the heads, except for the top one which appears to have been overtightened and pulled down into the wood. The wood appears to be hard, although I didn't poke with a screwdriver, but am just a litte nervous. The wood does have some little holes in the area of the chaingplate, which could have been points where some hardening compound might have been inectected? Also the fittings up top where the chainplate comes throught the deck appear to have had some recent caulking attetnion. If worst case sceneario unfolds and wood proves to be rotted, can the bulkhead be replaced? Has anyone out there ever done this, and if so what did you run into? any thoughts?
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david lewis
Oday 26
i never replaced one myself but watched one done. Someone wrote in about using a router on floor boards with a bit that has a follower bearing to make an exact copy, this should work here too. The bulkhead should just be screwed to the deck and hull liner. Of more concern to me is the condition of the deck. A leak probably caused the deck core to rot in this area. Have a surveyor check this out, do a tap test, ask the owner to unbolt the chainplate so you can see what he/she did. The core can be fixed but it will cost you so get it off the price up front. When you make the new bulkhead drill the chainplate holes first, then bolt the two board together so they don't move around while cutting them. good luck dave
i never replaced one myself but watched one done. Someone wrote in about using a router on floor boards with a bit that has a follower bearing to make an exact copy, this should work here too. The bulkhead should just be screwed to the deck and hull liner. Of more concern to me is the condition of the deck. A leak probably caused the deck core to rot in this area. Have a surveyor check this out, do a tap test, ask the owner to unbolt the chainplate so you can see what he/she did. The core can be fixed but it will cost you so get it off the price up front. When you make the new bulkhead drill the chainplate holes first, then bolt the two board together so they don't move around while cutting them. good luck dave
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Don Evans
Bulkhead
On my 76-OD25, the bulkhead floats in slots, molded in the floor pan and the plastic headliner. Not sure of the newer 26's? (Ben you reading this?) Replacement of the entire structure is probably not necessary. I would definetely pull the plates and examine the bolt holes (I think I have large washers under the bolt too?) If there was a bit of rot, but the area has been stabilized with git-rot, or thinned epoxy, you could add plates (ply, teak, metal, starboard?) over the area and rebolt them through the bulkhead with longer SS bolts and redrill the chainplate bolt holes and go with longer SS bolts. Examine the plates once there pulled (you may have to pry them up using the pin hole) in the area between the decks and check for crevice corrosion, brown discolouration and pitting, due to the SS sitting in a oxygen reduced, wet environment (the wet core?) and replace the plates if anything weird is found. As Dave mentions poke around the core and look for rot in the plywood. Stablize the area by removing wet core and repot using injected epoxy with the plate installed and waxed to reform the slot for the plate. If you or a surveyer confirm all this, it can work to your advantage as the buyer to renegotiate another price, but these repairs are not that onerous. I would recommend further reading. Don Casey in his book "Saiboat Hull and Deck Repair", has a good chapter on this. I wouldn't pass on the boat if this is confirmed and everything else checks out. Just have another chat with the seller 8^). Don
On my 76-OD25, the bulkhead floats in slots, molded in the floor pan and the plastic headliner. Not sure of the newer 26's? (Ben you reading this?) Replacement of the entire structure is probably not necessary. I would definetely pull the plates and examine the bolt holes (I think I have large washers under the bolt too?) If there was a bit of rot, but the area has been stabilized with git-rot, or thinned epoxy, you could add plates (ply, teak, metal, starboard?) over the area and rebolt them through the bulkhead with longer SS bolts and redrill the chainplate bolt holes and go with longer SS bolts. Examine the plates once there pulled (you may have to pry them up using the pin hole) in the area between the decks and check for crevice corrosion, brown discolouration and pitting, due to the SS sitting in a oxygen reduced, wet environment (the wet core?) and replace the plates if anything weird is found. As Dave mentions poke around the core and look for rot in the plywood. Stablize the area by removing wet core and repot using injected epoxy with the plate installed and waxed to reform the slot for the plate. If you or a surveyer confirm all this, it can work to your advantage as the buyer to renegotiate another price, but these repairs are not that onerous. I would recommend further reading. Don Casey in his book "Saiboat Hull and Deck Repair", has a good chapter on this. I wouldn't pass on the boat if this is confirmed and everything else checks out. Just have another chat with the seller 8^). Don
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Ron Deck
Bulkhead
Just replaced the same bulkhead on my '83 Oday 25. I found it to be a simple operation using Casey's book as a guide. Ron
Just replaced the same bulkhead on my '83 Oday 25. I found it to be a simple operation using Casey's book as a guide. Ron
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Herb Schiessl
chain plates
I had a similar problem on my 84, 26 O'Day. My bulkhead was not real bad so I just lengthened the stainless straps by adding some additional straps bolted to the original straps, with additional bolts through the good wood lower down. I resealed the deck and it seems to be working just fine.
I had a similar problem on my 84, 26 O'Day. My bulkhead was not real bad so I just lengthened the stainless straps by adding some additional straps bolted to the original straps, with additional bolts through the good wood lower down. I resealed the deck and it seems to be working just fine.
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Bark
Thanks to all
Thanks for the comments. Sounds like something that could have been dealt with. However, after much nail chewing I passed on that one, but found and bought another 26 in beautiful shape. Have pulled it home. waiting anxiously for the weather to moderate... looking forward to enjoying our "new" 26 ODay.
Thanks for the comments. Sounds like something that could have been dealt with. However, after much nail chewing I passed on that one, but found and bought another 26 in beautiful shape. Have pulled it home. waiting anxiously for the weather to moderate... looking forward to enjoying our "new" 26 ODay.
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Marki
Bulkhead Replacement
I am in the process of gutting a '66 and have run across this worst case scenario... This weekend we are replacing them... unfortunatly for you you probably don't have the entire interior pulled out. Hmmm, I will let you know what problems we run into if you are interested. You can write me at speedy421@hotmail.com Good Luck
I am in the process of gutting a '66 and have run across this worst case scenario... This weekend we are replacing them... unfortunatly for you you probably don't have the entire interior pulled out. Hmmm, I will let you know what problems we run into if you are interested. You can write me at speedy421@hotmail.com Good Luck
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