Gunwale & Mast step leaks

[EGillespie]

I recently bought a 1980 S2 8.0 in good shape. I noticed after heavy rains that the cabin headliner/carpet is damp in spots. The fiberglass is still really firm, but of course I want to avoid moisture intrusion in the fiberglass/balsa as much as possible.

I recently recaulked the chain plates at the base of the shrouds, and those areas are now dry. However, I noticed two areas where the headliner/carpet is moist after heavy rains:

1) Directly below the mast step
2) In the v-berth on the port side near the headliner. I assume the water is coming in through the footplate/sideplate on the gunwale.

I assume #1 can be fixed by removing the mast step and recaulking it. However, to remove the footplate along the port gunwale it looks like I would have to remove the entire headliner/carpet in the v-birth as there are nuts that must be removed to remove the deck gunwale.

Thoughts?

 

[BobM]

Sounds like a plan...

I recently bought a 1980 S2 8.0 in good shape. I noticed after heavy rains that the cabin headliner/carpet is damp in spots. The fiberglass is still really firm, but of course I want to avoid moisture intrusion in the fiberglass/balsa as much as possible.

I recently recaulked the chain plates at the base of the shrouds, and those areas are now dry. However, I noticed two areas where the headliner/carpet is moist after heavy rains:

1) Directly below the mast step
2) In the v-berth on the port side near the headliner. I assume the water is coming in through the footplate/sideplate on the gunwale.

I assume #1 can be fixed by removing the mast step and recaulking it. However, to remove the footplate along the port gunwale it looks like I would have to remove the entire headliner/carpet in the v-birth as there are nuts that must be removed to remove the deck gunwale.

Thoughts?

By foot plate...do you mean the toe rail? On my 9.2A I recaulked the first stanchion aft of the bow pulpit on the starboard side...then realized it was actually the hull to deck joint that was leaking in the same area. I didn't need to remove the headliner/carpet to get at the screws, just a piece of teak trim. Believe me...two things are at the end of their functional lives on your boat right now...all the sealant on your deck fittings...and the adhesive for your headliner. Look for rusty stains on the securing nuts visible in the cabin. Got rust? Got leak. Re-bed ASAP. My headliner is sagging in spots. I am going to put a WD-40 spray nozzle on a can of 3M contact cement and go to town whenever I rebed something in a sagging area. I saw a tip in GOB where two smaller lengths of board were used as props by just driving screws through to make an appropriate length of larger prop...if that makes sense. I figure to use that approach, or a telescoping roller handle, and a piece of 1/4 plywood to hold the headliner up until it sets.

 

[BobM]

By the way...tried Mainesail's butyl tape in place of caulking for bedding stuff. Works like a charm and its about 10 bucks a roll. He has an illustration on his site where he shows removal of a cleat with the factory 25 year old butyl tape and it still looks like fresh chewing gum on the bottom of a sneaker still stuck to the road. Plus it isn't messy to apply. The only issue I had is that you don't get a clean look if you have extra around the edge of the surface. I trimmed it off with a razor blade, but am still less than satisfied in this particular case (shower kit in the cockpit) because it shows and will likely get dirty with age. I need to have a "rebedding party" on board soon myself, but will hold off on the toe rail until winter. I strongly recommend the butyl tape for the mast step. The mast step sees a lot of movement and hence a lot of leaks have an opportunity to develop when the movement breaks the seal.

 

[EGillespie]

Hi Bob,

I wasn't able to get the tape you recommended, but I did use caulk on the hull-deck joint.

After reading both of your e-mails I looked more closely at the cabin teak and found slight amounts of water intrusion on the teak at various points abeam the hull-deck joint. So, I'm assuming that the toe rail and stancion are not the issue. Time will tell!

When I purchased the boat last month the v-berth headliner had already come down! That was last weeks job. I have an 8.0B so the v-berth is relatively small. I got contact cement and lay on my back with all fours stiff against the ceiling for about 15 minutes until I was certain the headliner would hold.

Any recommendations on a cover to put over the foot of the mast/mast step while the boat is in dock?

 

[BobM]

mast step cover

Typically one is not required. The folks you see with some sort of mast boot are those who have keel stepped masts and a hole in their decks for the mast.

Did the contact cement work well? We bought a couple of cans of some sort of 3M spray adhesive years ago and I hope to make use of that.

 

[EGillespie]

Yes it worked well...I used a generic brand from a local non-marine hardware store, and applied it with a brush. It reminded me of model airplane glue. It took about 15 minutes to stick however, so it is almost best if two people can do the job to keep the headliner nice and tight.

 

[BobM]

I must say that I find the head liner in the S2 a huge improvement on the vinyl head liner in my old boat. Not having access to backing nuts on the deck hardware is a pain. I'd rather be able to see them, although some may find this cosmetically ugly.

Lots of boats with vinyl stretched head liners became disasters later in life. Just look at all the 80's Beneteaus will foam backed vinyl falling down everywhere on Yachtworld.