Cracked Floorboard: Repair / Replacement

Aug 23, 2020
27
Catalina 310 323 Mamaroneck
I removed my floorboard to wash under them and to gain better access to the bilge. I placed them on the bow and a strong gust blew one of them off and it cracked in two (see photos). I've checked Catalina Direct and ShopCatalinaOwners.com and neither, unsurprisingly, carry them. I'm planning on calling Catalina Yachts and those two on-line stores tomorrow. Any suggestions on how to repair or replace?
 

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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Tight bond wood glue would be my approach. If the backside has room to add a thin backer then that would be good. If you are careful with glue on the face it might not be noticeable. Since it is a straight line after gluing back could be covered with a thin trim stained to match too.

If you are not a wood worker then ask around local with other owners, that is a laminate finish but if glued and clamped well should not be hard to fix.
 

dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
969
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
Looks like a pretty clean break. Use some Gorilla glue and put it back together, tapping the ends to get a tight fit. Use some long bar clamps to keep pressure on the joint. Clean up excess glue before it dries on the finished side. If there's room on the underside, clamp and glue a plywood patch over the crack for extra support. Done right, it won't be very noticable - you could sand and re-finish as well.
 
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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
I would not sand and refinish, that is a fake wood laminated finish so it does not have actual wood grain.
 

BillyK

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Jan 24, 2010
502
Catalina 310 Ocean City, NJ
i agree with what others are saying here.. I've used thinned epoxy in the past when there is material damage like this. it is able to better wick into the fibers and form a good bond. Then put a small piece of trim over the top of the break to hide it. you could even glue the trim down to the top to further strengthen the break.
 
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Aug 23, 2020
27
Catalina 310 323 Mamaroneck
Thanks to everyone for your help on this. Turns out, my brother-in-law, has been hand-making wooden canoes in his basement for years. He brought his tools and supplies and within 2 days I had functioning floors again. We routed out a space to epoxy a support plank, clamped it down overnight (in my living room where it was warm), put a sheet of fiberglass over the whole thing and it's almost like new. The only thing I need to do is stain the seam, which we puttied up. The first night we tried wood glue in my garage, but the 31F temperature resulted in no adhesion, so we used epoxy and the warmth of my house to cure.
 

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