I have noticed that the wood inside the dorade is rotting away down to the fiberglass. Can you suggest a method of correcting this problem?
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Scott Wilson
Hey you guys, help Steve and I out
I was going to post the same question as Steve. On my '85 H37 dorades, one has putty smeared in the bottom and the other has the paint coming off w/dark/damp wood exposed. This is viewed without removing the tops. I assume I will be in a long line of owners who have performed "destructive investigation" on these boxes. So, after I have drilled out the screws and removed the top covers, what is the preferred repair, and are any alterations made to the weep holes or replacement of the top ( or bottom) cover material, or replaced the cowls (sp?)with one of those fancy solar powered vent/fans?
I was going to post the same question as Steve. On my '85 H37 dorades, one has putty smeared in the bottom and the other has the paint coming off w/dark/damp wood exposed. This is viewed without removing the tops. I assume I will be in a long line of owners who have performed "destructive investigation" on these boxes. So, after I have drilled out the screws and removed the top covers, what is the preferred repair, and are any alterations made to the weep holes or replacement of the top ( or bottom) cover material, or replaced the cowls (sp?)with one of those fancy solar powered vent/fans?
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Don Bodemann
Not much help
Seeing how's you asked nicely, I will try my best to help, but I dont have a dorade box so I know nothing of which I speak! I think I understand what a Dorade box is supposed to do (seperate water from ventilating air) and I suppose the interior of these boxes is inexcessable?? That being the case, why not build new ones using the old ones for a pattern? I would be inclined to try a rot-proof material like starboard? or perhaps plexi? If you must use wood, marine plywood if it's to be painted (and I would suggest several coats of epoxy paint to the interior). If the boxes would look good as finished wood, go with teak or mahagony. Sounds like another interesting wood shop project! If, after opening the old ones up, you feel you'd like to try to resurrect the old ones, get them good and dry and apply several coats of epoxy paint to the inside of the box, being carefull not to plug the drain holes....might be an idea to enlarge the drain holes while you're at it.
Seeing how's you asked nicely, I will try my best to help, but I dont have a dorade box so I know nothing of which I speak! I think I understand what a Dorade box is supposed to do (seperate water from ventilating air) and I suppose the interior of these boxes is inexcessable?? That being the case, why not build new ones using the old ones for a pattern? I would be inclined to try a rot-proof material like starboard? or perhaps plexi? If you must use wood, marine plywood if it's to be painted (and I would suggest several coats of epoxy paint to the interior). If the boxes would look good as finished wood, go with teak or mahagony. Sounds like another interesting wood shop project! If, after opening the old ones up, you feel you'd like to try to resurrect the old ones, get them good and dry and apply several coats of epoxy paint to the inside of the box, being carefull not to plug the drain holes....might be an idea to enlarge the drain holes while you're at it.
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Jim Legere
Some help...
Gene Gruender has dealt with the dorade problem on his 37C "Rainbow Chaser" and describes the cure at his website. He also suggests paying attention to issues around the comapanionway. I plan to tackle both as soon as it gets warm enough for epoxy to cure in my part of the world!
Gene Gruender has dealt with the dorade problem on his 37C "Rainbow Chaser" and describes the cure at his website. He also suggests paying attention to issues around the comapanionway. I plan to tackle both as soon as it gets warm enough for epoxy to cure in my part of the world!
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Bob Miller
Wood or Fibre glass?
I'm going to have to go down to my boat and take another look, but I'm pretty sure the only wood involved with my dorade box is the cover. I think the dorade box itself is fibre glass, being molded in, and part of the deck structure. Can somebody set me straight? By the way, my 37C is 1984 vintage.
I'm going to have to go down to my boat and take another look, but I'm pretty sure the only wood involved with my dorade box is the cover. I think the dorade box itself is fibre glass, being molded in, and part of the deck structure. Can somebody set me straight? By the way, my 37C is 1984 vintage.
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Tom Hadoulias
It's Fiberglass with a wood bottom...
The dorade box is molded into the cabin top. Hunter then took a block of plywood and glued it into place from the inside effectively making a wood bottom with a hole cut in it for air flow and coated it with what appears to be a rubber type coating. The inner liner then goes on with the hole lining up to the molded liner vent hole. They slap some more sealant on it and drill a hole or two for drainage in the F/G on the cabin top. In my case, an '81' model they never drilled the drain holes so 20 years later all the plywood had rotted away and the water would drain between the liner and cabin top and cause a huge mess every time it rained. Ironically, not much rot in the core because all the water emptied out at the lowest point above the ice box and in the aft lazarette. I'm trying to decide on a fix. I may reglass the box or I may just cut the whole thing out, repair the cabin top and make it flush and just leave the vent hole and then just buy new dorades and screw them to the deck. This is a problem on a lot of 37C's. Hope this helps. Tom Hadoulias S/V Lite Chop
The dorade box is molded into the cabin top. Hunter then took a block of plywood and glued it into place from the inside effectively making a wood bottom with a hole cut in it for air flow and coated it with what appears to be a rubber type coating. The inner liner then goes on with the hole lining up to the molded liner vent hole. They slap some more sealant on it and drill a hole or two for drainage in the F/G on the cabin top. In my case, an '81' model they never drilled the drain holes so 20 years later all the plywood had rotted away and the water would drain between the liner and cabin top and cause a huge mess every time it rained. Ironically, not much rot in the core because all the water emptied out at the lowest point above the ice box and in the aft lazarette. I'm trying to decide on a fix. I may reglass the box or I may just cut the whole thing out, repair the cabin top and make it flush and just leave the vent hole and then just buy new dorades and screw them to the deck. This is a problem on a lot of 37C's. Hope this helps. Tom Hadoulias S/V Lite Chop
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Ed Schenck
Never been inside....
the dorades. But my long term plan has always been to mount Nicros over those holes. Should something be done inside the dorade box to enhance airflow?
the dorades. But my long term plan has always been to mount Nicros over those holes. Should something be done inside the dorade box to enhance airflow?
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Scott Wilson
So, now that I have Gene's site bookmarked . . .
and know where to start on the dorades, I was wondering about how the 37C "gurus" ran their halyards to the cockpit, in light of the cabin top traveler. P.S., I've had my boat 2 months, and was eyeballing the boxed in space under the oven and wondering why there wasn't storage access. I still don't know why, but from Gene's website I know there will be, as soon as I do the dorade work.
and know where to start on the dorades, I was wondering about how the 37C "gurus" ran their halyards to the cockpit, in light of the cabin top traveler. P.S., I've had my boat 2 months, and was eyeballing the boxed in space under the oven and wondering why there wasn't storage access. I still don't know why, but from Gene's website I know there will be, as soon as I do the dorade work.
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