The forum archives have loads of information and advice for identifying and fixing leaks on Oday boats, but I'm having trouble getting at the deck hardware from inside the cabin of my 1983 Oday 23. I suspect a leak at the port chainplate as well as at one of the starboard toe rails. The stanchions looks like they haven't been rebed for years (I bought the boat last year), so I plan to do those too. And as a result of an altercation between my bow pulpit and a dock, the pulpit needs to be rebed as well. But when I try to find all this hardware from inside the cabin, what I see is the fiberglass cabin liner. The only visible hardware are the chainplates, three of the four bolts for the mast foot, and the small blocks (one each on the port and starboard sides). None of the hardware for the bow pulpit, the stanchions, or the toe rails is visible from inside the cabin, and I can't see how I might access any of it without cutting through the liner. So the obvious question is, Do I have to cut or drill through the fiberglass liner to get at the hardware? On a related note, as a new sailboat owner, I'm finding it *very* hard to find dependable people who can (and will) work on old sailboats. The best one is about 40 miles away and prefers that I deliver the boat to his shop. (I don't have a trailer; the boat is stored at and launched from a marina on Lake George, where we sail.) Any advice for finding qualified repairmen for old sailboats? Thanks in advance for your advice! Bob
Help Accessing Deck Hardware from Inside Cabin
- Thread starter Adirondack Bob
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It's not looking good
Bob, I think you have answered your own question: if the hardware is not visible inside, you will have to cut the interior liner to get at it. I have a '79 Oday 23 and have so far avoided having to do so, but I know that won't last forever. You might want to try and ask Rudy at D&R Marine if he has any other ideas; his contact info is in the links section of this site. Rudy used to work at Oday and knows quite a bit about the old boats. As for finding help locally, your best bet is to be referred to someone. Talk to other owners of old boats and find out who they use. Don't limit yourself to just sailboat owners as many hull, deck equipment bedding, electrical and other problems are universal to power and sailboats.
Bob, I think you have answered your own question: if the hardware is not visible inside, you will have to cut the interior liner to get at it. I have a '79 Oday 23 and have so far avoided having to do so, but I know that won't last forever. You might want to try and ask Rudy at D&R Marine if he has any other ideas; his contact info is in the links section of this site. Rudy used to work at Oday and knows quite a bit about the old boats. As for finding help locally, your best bet is to be referred to someone. Talk to other owners of old boats and find out who they use. Don't limit yourself to just sailboat owners as many hull, deck equipment bedding, electrical and other problems are universal to power and sailboats.
O'Day 23 re-bedding
Bob I just re-bedded my stanchions on my 1980 O'day 23 this spring...it's a two person job. they are a bit difficult to access but if you go into the v-birth area, you can get at the front ones. You can access the others from the salon area. You have to peel-back the top of the carpet to reach up and under. We found that using 90 degree bend, needle-nose vise grips down below was mandatory. I haven't done anything to my chain plates since I've owned the boat, other then tightening them, so I'm no help there. Good luck! Stickman
Bob I just re-bedded my stanchions on my 1980 O'day 23 this spring...it's a two person job. they are a bit difficult to access but if you go into the v-birth area, you can get at the front ones. You can access the others from the salon area. You have to peel-back the top of the carpet to reach up and under. We found that using 90 degree bend, needle-nose vise grips down below was mandatory. I haven't done anything to my chain plates since I've owned the boat, other then tightening them, so I'm no help there. Good luck! Stickman
leaking chain plates
Hi Bob, Before rebedding your chain plates, try some sealant from above. I used "Captain Tolley's creeping crack cure" and it worked for me. You just pour the product in until it won't take anymore. Each year I reapply and my chain plates haven't leaked since. I also cured a leak in the genoa track on the toe rail. Great stuff to have on the boat! KP
Hi Bob, Before rebedding your chain plates, try some sealant from above. I used "Captain Tolley's creeping crack cure" and it worked for me. You just pour the product in until it won't take anymore. Each year I reapply and my chain plates haven't leaked since. I also cured a leak in the genoa track on the toe rail. Great stuff to have on the boat! KP
agree with stickman
Bob, I rebeaded my stantions last year. They are indeed all acessable by peeling the carpet back a bit. Small child in the bow is a better bet than an adult. Small bit of contact cement when done on the carpet and youll be all set. We are heading to Lake George in the morning with my family. Will be staying on the north end of Turtle Island. Look us up if you so choose. 1980 O'day 23 " On Eagles Wings" light blue decks. Scott & Diane and kids.
Bob, I rebeaded my stantions last year. They are indeed all acessable by peeling the carpet back a bit. Small child in the bow is a better bet than an adult. Small bit of contact cement when done on the carpet and youll be all set. We are heading to Lake George in the morning with my family. Will be staying on the north end of Turtle Island. Look us up if you so choose. 1980 O'day 23 " On Eagles Wings" light blue decks. Scott & Diane and kids.
Thanks
Thanks to everyone for these suggestions. My kids are no longer small, but I'll look into peeling the carpet back to access the hardware. (I may need to start practicing yoga!) Kevin, I did use some sealant on the bow pulpit from the outside. I picked it up at the local marina at the suggestion of the owner. (It's not Captain Tolley's; don't remember the name.) I don't know yet whether it has prevented any of the leaking. (It hasn't rained since I applied it.) But I don't think any of the deck hardware has been rebed on the boat for many years, so I'd like to redo everything I can in the offseason. Scott, we may be up on the lake next weekend. We're moored in Northwest Bay. Maybe we'll find our way to Turtle Island and look you up. Thanks for the invite! Bob
Thanks to everyone for these suggestions. My kids are no longer small, but I'll look into peeling the carpet back to access the hardware. (I may need to start practicing yoga!) Kevin, I did use some sealant on the bow pulpit from the outside. I picked it up at the local marina at the suggestion of the owner. (It's not Captain Tolley's; don't remember the name.) I don't know yet whether it has prevented any of the leaking. (It hasn't rained since I applied it.) But I don't think any of the deck hardware has been rebed on the boat for many years, so I'd like to redo everything I can in the offseason. Scott, we may be up on the lake next weekend. We're moored in Northwest Bay. Maybe we'll find our way to Turtle Island and look you up. Thanks for the invite! Bob
Next Question on Accessing Deck Hardware
OK, you guys are terrific. I was able to sneak over to my boat for an hour or so today to look more carefully at how best to access the deck hardware from inside the cabin. And as Scott (and a few others suggested), it's possible. But it sure ain't easy. So here's what I'm thinking at this point: pulling back the rug and cutting a modest square hole in the fiberglass liner just below each stanchion to make it easier to access them. I could do the same for the bow pulpit (at least for two of the four contact points). It seems to me that it would be easy to conceal these holes with the rug, as long as the holes were limited in size. What I'm wondering is whether anyone with an Oday 23 has done this. (It's similar to what Don Casey recommends in his book on deck and hull repair.) I'm also wondering what tools work best to cut fiberglass of this thickness. A jigsaw? Has anyone had any experience with this? Thanks again for your advice. Bob (By the way, Scott, I suspect you're not reading this while you're at Lake George, but I didn't have time to sail today. I plan to get out on Saturday, and if I can, I'll try to sail over to Turtle Island and look for you.)
OK, you guys are terrific. I was able to sneak over to my boat for an hour or so today to look more carefully at how best to access the deck hardware from inside the cabin. And as Scott (and a few others suggested), it's possible. But it sure ain't easy. So here's what I'm thinking at this point: pulling back the rug and cutting a modest square hole in the fiberglass liner just below each stanchion to make it easier to access them. I could do the same for the bow pulpit (at least for two of the four contact points). It seems to me that it would be easy to conceal these holes with the rug, as long as the holes were limited in size. What I'm wondering is whether anyone with an Oday 23 has done this. (It's similar to what Don Casey recommends in his book on deck and hull repair.) I'm also wondering what tools work best to cut fiberglass of this thickness. A jigsaw? Has anyone had any experience with this? Thanks again for your advice. Bob (By the way, Scott, I suspect you're not reading this while you're at Lake George, but I didn't have time to sail today. I plan to get out on Saturday, and if I can, I'll try to sail over to Turtle Island and look for you.)
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