H260 Compression Post Removal & Table Mod

[h2o_snow]

Hi All,
Starting on a fall project - the infamous H 26/260 table mod. Taking a large page out of Rade0041's design and hope to post as I go. Boat is at my buddy (James') welding shop waiting compression post removal.

Have a few questions - it was cold this morn - about 20 degrees so I'm not sad that we stopped before starting to get cheeky. So...…….I'll ask questions in BOLD.
1) Mast plate is removed - only 1 screw required serious persuasion. Is 4200 the recommended sealant during reinstall?

2) There is no pin nor bolt holding the compression post into the female seat above the centerboard trunk.

I assume the only thing currently holding the compression post (CP) in place is:
a) seal on top of cabin, seal inside cabin ceiling (around top of CP) and seal (looks like epoxy) around the base (above).
b) the nut above is a thru bolt attached to the centerboard pully system and should absolutely not be touched.
Planning on waiting until the day warms and using a heat gun on the seals to start. Do not want to crack the glass by the mast step trying to lever it up.
Advise?
Thanks! JT

 

[Kermit]

@Crazy Dave Condon is the man to help you with this.

 

[rade0041]

very cool. Looking forward to seeing an improved/professionally welded version.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Send me a private message with phone number and time zone and appropriate times to call. I am off grid today and tomorrow but can call tomorrow evening as I have some questions to ask on things I am seeing

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

advised gently use a putty knife under mast step base. Then asked if any #10 screws were in the centerboard top plate locking compression post to that plate. The response was no. Then gently remove the whole compression post welded to the top plate and then tape over to prevent any water intrusion since boat sitting on trailer outside.
The top of the inside plate is level and no leakage there.

 

[h2o_snow]

Thanks Dave - I enjoyed our conversation and very much appreciate the help.

Think I will also try some guitar string to "saw" under the top cabin plate. Have a few paint scrapers handy as well - this will be the crux of the removal. Will wait for warmer afternoon weather. Its kinda slippery up on the cabin at 7am.

Questions: (I am cheap & a upholstery neophyte).

1. What do you guys like for 3" foam - firmness - do you have vender info?

2. Same question for fabric. Matching the H260 fabric has proven tough - I spoke with the folks who did the covers back in the day and they mentioned that colors variance's were dependent on the close out deals they could get on bolts. Our pattern is way gone.

Only interior pic (sorta) of the boat. Hint - the color is blue. (Barlow Bay - Lopez Island WA) Home made wonton soup - yum!

Need more of this. (Lucky Peak, ID) Thinking ribeye, corn & mushrooms.

Thanks. JT

 

[Kermit]

We went to an upholstery shop and picked out a navy-ish blue. (We don’t much care for the original pattern anyway.) The shop was able to reuse the fabric on the bottom. Saved us some dollas.

 

[h2o_snow]

The shop was able to reuse the fabric on the bottom. Saved us some dollas.

K,

Thanks!

In this instance trying to get close to the original color in something comfortable when its hot - we'll be making new cushions for the "cabin berth" and hope to find and economical backing fabric . Need to source a slip maker - got quoted $500 w/o materials - seemed pricey for 2 covers.

Mrs. Snow is about 5'11"' and I'm 6'4" - crawling over each other to pee makes us cranky. Hence a modified Rade0041 design - hope to dance on this thing when we are done.

 

[Kermit]

K,

Thanks!

In this instance trying to get close to the original color in something comfortable when its hot - we'll be making new cushions for the "cabin berth" and hope to find and economical backing fabric . Need to source a slip maker - got quoted $500 w/o materials - seemed pricey for 2 covers.

Mrs. Snow is about 5'11"' and I'm 6'4" - crawling over each other to pee makes us cranky. Hence a modified Rade0041 design - hope to dance on this thing when we are done.

What is a “modified Rade0041” design? We have the same middle-of-the-night issue.
We didn’t pay anywhere near that much. I’ll have to look it up but we paid for the top fabric and labor for both rear berth cushions.

Oh crap. I looked it up. You ain’t gonna believe this. We paid $197.30 to have both cushions in the rear berth recovered. It included the fabric and labor. They were able to reuse the fabric from the bottom of the cushions. They also reused the foam.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I wonder if that fabric is a croaking green frog color

 

[h2o_snow]

K,

Follow this thread - it upped our game plan - I had never considered compression post removal as an option. Rade0041's table design is elegant and the best solution I have yet seen.

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/h26-drop-down-table-mod.190456/

Please pm me re: your sewing contact. That is a whole lot less than anybody here in potatoland has quoted - might be worth the shipping.

Thanks again.

 

[Kermit]

Alrighty... I looked at the thread. We have lowered our table to that position. My beef is it doesn’t match up perfectly level with the seats on either side. I feel I’m rolling toward the compression post. I’ve thought about adding an additional layer of support but that’ll just add more stuff to store. And with the table all the way down there is very little walking space. I’m anxious to hear what you end up doing.

 

[Kermit]

I wonder if that fabric is a croaking green frog color

She just sewed together some lily pads.

 

[h2o_snow]

Pulled the compression post. A bit more than anticipated. A piston and gasket scraping tool worked well freeing the mast step base.

It was evident that the centerboard line had been replaced in the past as everything was packed with silicone over 5200.

A tapered bar allowed us to slowly break the seals while gently using a pry bar up top the cabin. Much easier job with 2 people.

A bunch of silicone will need to be removed before reinstalling.

Put 500 lbs on the table in the "mondo berth" position. Slight flexing - 3/4" 5 ply. Way more solid than anticipated. Rethinking design options.

Factory table support - will reuse the sleeve hardware.

Sourcing fabric and foam over Thanksgiving.
Any leads on foam?