I am floored

[DArcy]

Well, sometime soon I will be re-floored. Water running down the mast had a direct route to the floor and it is in pretty bad shape. Where the screw driver is jabbed in is the worst spot.

I started taking out the old rotted floor and this is what it looked like after pulling out all the bungs and screws. I'm guessing these were not all OEM screws and there have been a few repairs to this floor in the past.

 

[dirt rd]

Please share your pictures.

 

[DArcy]

I will share as I go along, for now that's all I have. The next step may get ugly, exposing parts of the bilge that have not been seen in 39 years.

 

[Terry Cox]

Sounds as though some R rated pics will appear here soon. Hide the children lest they be ruined for life. Oh the horror.

You will feel much better after it is all said and done. Very rewarding project in the offing.

 

[Terry Cox]

all the bungs

Why so many bungs in that small piece of sole?

 

[DArcy]

It looks like the hatches in the floor did not have great support and some reinforcements were added at some point. Without access from below, they were screwed in through the top. The floor itself is still very solid in that area. It seems excessive. In fact, I'm not sure any screws are required in that area with proper design.

 

[DArcy]

I managed to get the teak and holly floor out. There were about 60 screws through it

The original area of concern was around the mast step but after pulling the floor up I found rot on the starboard side as well where water found it's way in. I'll need to find the source of that leak to stop this from recurring. The sub-floor is tabbed to the hull in this area and runs under the cabinet so I'll need to figure out how to get in there and to fasten in the new sub-floor. Removing the entire cabinet on this side would be quite a bit of work but may be necessary. I will need to repair the bottom inch or so of the cabinet facing as it has rotted. Maybe cut off a couple inches and put a teak "baseboard" over it. There was a 1" trim piece here.

 

[dlochner]

Isn't this your new boat?

From the photos it looks like your boat is a stick built boat, i.e., all the furniture and fittings are built in the boat and are not a fiberglass pan that is set into the boat. On stick built boats, all of the parts contribute to the structural integrity of the hull, especially those that are tabbed into the hull. Also, with patience and a screwdriver most of the parts can be removed intact.

Keel stepped masts always leak. There is no stopping them. Look to see if there is adequate drainage under the mast step. It may be necessary to remove the mast step and the supporting pieces and rebuild them. This has been a issue with many older Sabres. If you go to the Sabre group and search the archives for Mast Step Disease you will find information on how the mast step was repaired on Sabres.

SabreSailboat groups.io Group

A group of owners of Sabre sailboats. This group comprise of former members of the Yahoo Group-SabreSailboat and new members of Groups.io-SabreSailboat. This forum is for discussions of ownership, maintenance and improvements of Sabre sailboats. This discussion will also include the operation...

groups.io

 

[TomY]

What a can of worms, DArcy. I surmise you mean the subfloor that is tabbed into the hull is rotted and needs to be replaced? Maybe you'll get lucky and find you can remove and replace without removing the cabinet. And then perhaps the door facade will come out easier than it looks. You'll get it.

It looks like water and or maybe moisture in general was trapped in that area? Maybe find the source but also leave a limber hole or something so water can drain? Maybe add some ventilation if possible?

That sole was slaughtered with screws,...

 

[DArcy]

Thanks guys. I have already added drainage at the mast step. Good idea to also add limber holes on starboard where water accumulates.
I will have a look at the cabinet front to see about removing it without destroying it. That would probably be easier than trying to work around it.

 

[dlochner]

In fine yachting tradition of project creep, while the sole is off, check the floor timbers and replace as necessary or seal them against future water intrusion. If the mast step is wood, check to make sure the wood is solid and in good condition. You don't want to go down this path again.

 

[Mike Meier]

Darcy, I'm sympathetic. I replaced sections of my cabin sole on my 1982 Pearson 367. I used 1/2 inch teak and maple for the "holly". I would have used plywood but the "holly" strips were 1/4 while the product Pearson used had 1/2 " "holly", maple, actually. If I had used the product available, I would not be able to match them and it would have looked strange. I used 1/4 " dowels for the joints and it turned out beautifully. Mind you this was only a small piece of the cabin sole. If I can find a picture I'll send it. I was told that Pearson used a product made in California and the company no longer exists. On your photos, I noticed that your "holly" strips look exactly like mine, so, and I do not say this lightly, you may have to replace the whole thing, if you use the new cabin sole produced today. Good Luck. Mike Meier

 

[DArcy]

My boat is a deck salon so there are two levels with a step down to the forward cabin area. It's the forward cabin sole that I'm replacing and the entire thing needed to go. The upper level is in pretty good shape. The lower level was covered by a carpet for many years which seems to have affected the finish so they don't match currently anyway. I have some 1/2" teak and holly as well as some marine ply for the sub floor already. I will try to finish the teak and holly to match the upper floor. I'm going to rebuild the hatches as well so they will match better.

 

[DArcy]

I'm finally back on my new to me boat, getting ready for launch. I'm still working in the floor but decided to take a break from that and clean up a little. I opened a locker under the Pullman berth and I just have to wonder what the person who was last in here was thinking.

I see 4 sketchy, and easy to fix, things in this photo. Let me know if you find more than that.
BTW, There is no Lectrasan toilet on the boat.

 

[dlochner]

I just have to wonder what the person who was last in here was thinking.

"I'm not buying this boat?"

The errors
Wire Nuts
Metal Clamp on Red cable
Abandoned R/B wires hanging loose? A little hard to tell if it is a loop or abandoned wires
Unsupported DC wiring
The through hull is not flanged nor does it appear to have a backing plate.
Bonding cable hanging loose.

We'll give him a pass on the cheap SS clamps, but they should be changed too.

What is the pump's purpose? Wash down? Electric toilet flush? Macerator?
No inline filter on the pump inlet.

 

[DArcy]

The pump is for the deck washdown. I didn't even notice the through hull being not flanged, so much going on here. Yes to all the rest.
In the compartment next it I found this:

Vented loop in the hose from the toilet to the holding tank . Now I know where the smell is coming from
Oh, and no vented loop in the water intake to the bowl.
Oh, and speaker wire powering a small fan the PO installed that he was hoping would get rid of the smell.

 

[dlochner]

It looks like you won't be running short of boat projects any time soon.

 

[dLj]

I do like the floor you got in there, jus' sayin'....

dj

 

[DArcy]

You mean this floor?

It's a work in progress. I have to clean up the wires, just sprayed the bilge with formula "B" to kill whatever mildew is in there, wasn't bad but needs cleaning.
Formula B combined:
• one quart hot water
• two tablespoons baking soda
• two tablespoons Borax
• one tablespoon TSP.

 

[SFS]

I always like Formula B more than A because it used less TSP. Pretty effective, and it never seemed to hurt any of the interior wood on our Hunter.

Good luck with the sole repairs. It's a tough job, especially if settees and cabinets have to come out. When I did ours, I put triple coats of epoxy on every piece of sole, so water would never be a problem again.