Looking for advice on materials for refinishing trim

[davemerwin]

I am the proud owner of a new to me '77 Catalina 22. Everything looks to be in good shape considering her age. It's functional for sure. I'd like to redo all of the exterior woodwork and some of the sheet material on the interior. Mainly the bulkheads. What material should I be looking at?

I'm in Oregon, so Port Orford Cedar is easier to get, but are there other, less expensive materials to look at? And for the interior, should I be looking and marine ply?

Any and all advice is welcome.

Lastly, what types of fasteners should I be looking at? The current ones use a dimpled washer under a wood screw into the fiberglass. Should I look at through bolts?

 

[rpludwig]

Welcome and congrats! You've come to the best C22 resource around, post some pics of your new boat, folks here will walk you thru most anything.

 

[ShotgunSlim]

Welcome aboard! It's sailing season so put off what you can do later, go have fun now and post lots of pictures.

 

[rpludwig]

Bulkheads were typically marine ply teak veneered, all fasteners, nuts, bolts should be stainless 316 (marine grade not big box stainless). Do a search here for bulkhead replacement, that'll give you a start on what many others have done, but first get to the source of WHY they need to be replaced (usually leaking chainplates). Exterior brightwork is teak, depending on condition, take it off, sand, fill, epoxy if need be, varnish many coats, or replace...agree with Slim, do it all in the off season if the boat is in sailable/functional/safe condition....cosmetics can wait.

 

[Gene Neill]

Bulkheads are not necessarily cosmetic. How bad are they?

Cedar would be beautiful! Marine grade something-or-other is best if using plywood. You can get down and dirty with ordinary exterior grade, as long as you protect it. Stain it, then soak the edges with thin/penetrating epoxy, and "paint" the sides with same. Overdrill your bolt holes, fill the oversized holes with epoxy, then re-drill the proper size hole through that epoxy. The wood is now virtually impervious to moisture. In theory, even interior grade plywood could be used if prepared this way. (Not that you would, but you could.)

About the wood screws vs. through bolts ... where are we talking about? Along the bottom edge of the bulkheads? Those are only screwed in from the factory, probably fine that way, there is not much strain on them (mine are still like that). But if I were rebuilding the bulkheads I might through bolt them just because.

 

[Displacesailor]

Bulkheads need to be a material that is very strong and will NOT Rot. Chainplates are very difficult to keep from leaking and I have seen several mast failures caused by bulkhead problems. I recommend 316 SS Bolts at the bottom of the bulkhead and on the side as overtime the screws have failed because the fiberglass hole was enlarged. The bottom is a difficult reach and side may not be possible without an access port thru the liner below the shelf. The sides generally are less of a problem than the bottom which have failed on all of the boat 22's that I have redone.
Be careful of the fit of the bulkhead as some boats have part of the wood remove to compensate for misalignment of the deck liner and the hull liner. Some boats have a small taper on the side of one bulkhead and some as much as a 2" taper on the side of both bulkheads