The mast step is lowering and I would like to replace the compresion post and strengthen the boat. I'd like to hear others' comment and experience on repairing their compression post on the Irwins.
Compression Post
- Thread starter TxSkipper007
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me too
My boat - an Irwin 37 the problem - the door to the front head won't close. The hinge side has dropped about 1/2" to 3/4". I wonder if it's the ceiling, and if that is seperate from the top deck. Or it could be the compresson post is lower than it should be. My post is 2-2x4's and look original. My bulkhead wall rotted at the bottom, and I wonder if that caused the ceiling to lower. I replaced the lower part using the original bottom for a length guide (parts were not rotted and appeared to be original factory cuts.) So, to reiterate - it is possible the front ceiling is collapsing from the wood walls and bulkhead rooting out at the bottom. However, I would like to know what the original length of the compression post is. NOTE: there is no post to the keel, BUT I tried jacking the horizontal piece up and it would not budge, which leaves the C-post or walls as being the problem.
My boat - an Irwin 37 the problem - the door to the front head won't close. The hinge side has dropped about 1/2" to 3/4". I wonder if it's the ceiling, and if that is seperate from the top deck. Or it could be the compresson post is lower than it should be. My post is 2-2x4's and look original. My bulkhead wall rotted at the bottom, and I wonder if that caused the ceiling to lower. I replaced the lower part using the original bottom for a length guide (parts were not rotted and appeared to be original factory cuts.) So, to reiterate - it is possible the front ceiling is collapsing from the wood walls and bulkhead rooting out at the bottom. However, I would like to know what the original length of the compression post is. NOTE: there is no post to the keel, BUT I tried jacking the horizontal piece up and it would not budge, which leaves the C-post or walls as being the problem.
My boat is not an Irwin BUT it does have
a compression post. The post cannot stand by itself. It needs something to support it. Get in there and look, and find out what is missing.If the bulkhead has rotted then what do you suppose has happened the the foot of the post?
a compression post. The post cannot stand by itself. It needs something to support it. Get in there and look, and find out what is missing.If the bulkhead has rotted then what do you suppose has happened the the foot of the post?
This is not a DIY fix, unless you are pretty damn handy. For sure get a pro to look at this and make sure what needs to be fixed, before you start fixin. A structural part of the boat is not a place for an amatuer to be working on.
new opinion
Under the floor there is a longitudinal frame. I applied a 5 ton jack under it and it wouldn't budge. Therefore, I have to assume anything resting on it, like the compression post, isn't going to move it either, even thought the movement is in the other direction. To test it, we loaded down the mast by tightening the shrouds and stays and it didn't move. So: I looked at the ceiling and found that the way the boat was built, in my opinion, was that the ceiling was lowered onto the boat, then the deck or the ceiling was mated to the deck, and that was then mated to the hull. Therefore: the lowering of the ceiling inthe general vacinity of the compression post leads me to believe that is the problem. Also of note: I cut away two feet of the bulkhead, after taking careful measurements of the ceiling height, wall angles, withs, etc and nothing. After removing the lower two feet, nothing was different. Therefore I have to assume the bulkhead does little in holding up the ceiling, with the cave3at: The whole boat flexes. That is why Irwins are known as poorly built. The bulkheads maintain some hull integrity. My plan is to undo the shrouds and stays and then jack up the ceiling or compression lost and place flat, 4 x 4 aluminum shims under the comp post or above it. As for being an amateur, Yes I am. That said, I see this project and not being to difficult and well within my capabilities.
Under the floor there is a longitudinal frame. I applied a 5 ton jack under it and it wouldn't budge. Therefore, I have to assume anything resting on it, like the compression post, isn't going to move it either, even thought the movement is in the other direction. To test it, we loaded down the mast by tightening the shrouds and stays and it didn't move. So: I looked at the ceiling and found that the way the boat was built, in my opinion, was that the ceiling was lowered onto the boat, then the deck or the ceiling was mated to the deck, and that was then mated to the hull. Therefore: the lowering of the ceiling inthe general vacinity of the compression post leads me to believe that is the problem. Also of note: I cut away two feet of the bulkhead, after taking careful measurements of the ceiling height, wall angles, withs, etc and nothing. After removing the lower two feet, nothing was different. Therefore I have to assume the bulkhead does little in holding up the ceiling, with the cave3at: The whole boat flexes. That is why Irwins are known as poorly built. The bulkheads maintain some hull integrity. My plan is to undo the shrouds and stays and then jack up the ceiling or compression lost and place flat, 4 x 4 aluminum shims under the comp post or above it. As for being an amateur, Yes I am. That said, I see this project and not being to difficult and well within my capabilities.
Pan warpage?
Tom, did you see any warping or bending of the pan around the compression post, in the walkway? My ceiling has lowered at least an inch. Since the compression post seems to be only marginally rotted at it’s base, I can not see where the inch or more compression has occurred. I’m wondering if the boat originally had a ½” or so gap between the longitudinal frame and the pan. The pan now sits on the longitudinal frame.
Tom, did you see any warping or bending of the pan around the compression post, in the walkway? My ceiling has lowered at least an inch. Since the compression post seems to be only marginally rotted at it’s base, I can not see where the inch or more compression has occurred. I’m wondering if the boat originally had a ½” or so gap between the longitudinal frame and the pan. The pan now sits on the longitudinal frame.
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