OD 23-2 chain plate slipped/bulkhead soft. Patch or replace bulkhead?

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AndrewJillings

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Oct 24, 2023
8
O Day 23-2 Oneida Lake
I think it is new in the last two years, but the chain plate has slipped up through the bulkhead 2-3mm. You can see the new wood exposed at the bottom of the chain plate and it is similarly showing higher above deck. The bulkhead has been wet in the past but I redid the butyl tape when I bought the boat three years ago and it’s been dry ever since.
So do I have to replace the whole bulkhead or can I bolt/glue a hardwood patch over the weak area? If it’s a replacement, how many hours is that going to take?
Thanks all
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Don S/V ILLusion

Don S/V ILLusion

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Sep 25, 2008
7,684
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
The consequence of a poor repair can be catastrophic. Removing the chainplate to inspect the condition of the bulkhead wood is the first step before trying to figure out what the proper fix is.
 
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D

dlochner

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Jan 11, 2014
13,988
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Replace the bulkhead. To patch the bulkhead it would be necessary to cut out all of the rotting bulkhead and then scarf a new section of plywood. A lot of finicky work.
 
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Project_Mayhem

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Sep 24, 2018
4,477
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
The bulkhead needs to be replaced. It's work but it's nothing complicated. I replaced the starboard bulkhead on my O'Day 25. The most time consuming part was re-assembling the cabinetry. It all screwed together. Newer O'Day's did not have tabbing between the bulkhead and hull. I don't think anyone has analyzed the differences between the years to see if it can be eliminated on all O'Days of similar design.

This isn't a complicated job. You may need to sand the portion of the bulkhead that slips into the fiberglass channel. I found the 1/2" plywood was a tad too thick to fit in it. You don't have to do a perfect cut on the new plywood. The boat was designed to hide some imperfections. Ultimately, your replacing a piece of plywood. Keep that in mind when things seem daunting.
 
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Clutch Cargo

Clutch Cargo

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Aug 7, 2021
162
O'day 28 Casco Bay
I have to agree with the other posters. Chain plates are mission critical and the amount of time and effort it would take to insert a piece of new material into the existing structure vs. the peace of mind that would come from replacing the entire bulkhead is not worth it IMHO. I have also seen a number of threads on this site and others that detail how it is done.
 
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Project_Mayhem

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Sep 24, 2018
4,477
Catalina 30 MKIII Chicago
If it seems daunting, remember that you're just replacing a piece of plywood. A repair of your damaged plywood is actually more challenging, technically speaking
 
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