O’day 27 jib sail help

Scott T-Bird · Jan 10, 2018

Richard19068 said:
I don't think he was being alarmist. If I was a novice and had that stain on the bulkhead below the chainplate I would appreciate someone having pointed out that it was a possible serious issue and to check it out.

I guess I just don't see the stain ... the wood appears to have a very nice pattern and coloration. Sorry, just not seeing a stain. Is it really that obvious? I agree, that if it looks like a stain or otherwise, it should be looked at, but I wouldn't be alarmist based on a grainy photo of wood (teak - possibly varnished or oiled) that has a lot of dark coloration. Wood has an amazing capacity for tolerating wetness periodically without any structural degradation. Even stains can be apparent without any damage. Teak, in particular, is extremely resistant to rot. However, as you know, the teak veneer is backed by a softwood. It is an easy task to suss the condition of exposed wood. The fact that it is exposed will allow the wood to dry easily, making it far less likely to deteriorate. Concealed wood in damp areas is far more problematic and I admit that a stain leading to a concealed location is suspicious. Admittedly, the bottom edge of the plywood is susceptible to damage. My bulkheads suffered damage around the edges that required reinforcement.
I still think the photo doesn't clearly show a problem. Whatsit hasn't suggested that he has seen any damage, just water on the floor, which probably comes from the wire penetration thru the roof under the mast, as has already been suggested to him.

Scott T-Bird · Jan 10, 2018

25yearslater said:
Not being alarmist Scott. Unfortunately the wood block under the sole was very poorly designed and sealed. It wicks water like a sponge from the bilge. The tell tale is compression of the sole around the compression post base which allows the water to pool there. Quite honestly I would be surprised if any 27 of that era didn't have the issue it is such an awful setup. Funny thing is I left one of the portlights open in my head when I left the boat. Down came the rain and guess where the water went? Ran to the bulkhead and down to the sole right in the same area. The discoloration indicates standing water at the bottom of the bulkhead and the trail down the chainplate indicates a steady leak. Sadly most O'days have shot bulkheads. It really isn't a catastrophe but should be addressed. The block I refer to is located just forward of the hatch in the sole. It extends forward under the head. A little probing with an awl or icepick will reveal whether this is indeed the case.

Yes, I agree. I am similarly unsatisfied with the construction of my bulkheads. This photo shows the significant stains that I have on my port side as a result of a leaky chainplate assembly. Unknowingly, I varnished the wood, which really led to the stain. The bare wood never showed any sign of leaking before I varnished the wood. I was horrified as soon as these stains developed. I did have degraded plywood around vulnerable edges which did allow some flexing of the overall structure. I fabricated hardwood blocks that I thru-bolted around the edges, which essentially clamped the solid wood of the bulkheads to the fiberglass structure of the boat. It is been far more rigid since I did this many years ago. I made the bulkhead repairs before varnishing the wood, so it was distressing to see the stains appear, but it did lead me to repairing the assembly of the chainplate thru the deck. As you can see, the discoloration is far more pronounced than the photo that Whatsit posted, yet the wood is completely sound in the areas where the stains are evident.

25yearslater · Jan 10, 2018

Let's start with the wires. Go to page 28, post 547 for a look at the mast step. These are the wires you probably have. What happens with the water that can come through them is saturation and degradation of the core under the step. You should see some severe cracking of the gelcoat in this area if this is the issue. Another tell will be water filling the ledge in the cabin liner. There is a pronounced U at the edges by the hull. You can reach a few fingers up there and feel the trough it forms. This will channel the water aft and away from the area. Loads of fun trying to find out where a leak comes from when that has water. Next the wires are between the liner and coach roof so any water will run down the top of the liner into these troughs. Next the teak block with the 6 acorn nuts is the area of staining. Look to the top left for the block and then look at the bottom. It is quite pronounced in the enlarged photo. I don't seem to have taken pictures of the block under the sole. Finally don't get panicky on a repair. For less than a kilodollar you can make a substantial repair which would include new bulkheads if indeed they are punky and you have any wood working skills whatsoever.

Scott T-Bird · Jan 11, 2018

Looks like the wiring exits the mast above deck and passes thru the coach roof. It may be a source of water infiltration, so you should repair the penetration with a suitable method that will seal the holes. A soft area around the mast step (base) is not a good sign as it indicates the core between layers of fiberglass is deteriorated. The "ceiling" is a liner. I'm not certain how "solid" it should feel, but it adds no structural support for your mast. It seems that at some point you will need to take your mast down to investigate.

Pat · Jan 11, 2018

I believe from the previous posts this is the original O'day 27....not the 272.... I'm happy to answer questions but for sailing the 272...Our club had an older 27, but I'm not really familiar with it...Pat

Davidasailor26 · Jan 11, 2018

Whatsit said:
Also did you notice from my picture that there’s one wire not connected to anything?

It's a little hard to tell in the picture but it looks like that may be a white coaxial wire? If so it's probably for a VHF antenna, and should connect from an antenna at the top of the mast to a radio in the cabin.

JRT · Jan 11, 2018

I'm pretty new, but before I'd spend any money on her I'd get a very good idea of what is going on with springy decks on the cabin. Before you go out again get a pinless moisture meter and take pictures and take reading everywhere.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/General...Moisture-Meter-with-Backlit-LCD-MM8/205519129

Take a ton of pics close up and document every thing you can.

Davidasailor26 · Jan 12, 2018

Whatsit said:
Is there anything I can do to temporarily fix the mast leaking until the spring when I can ge it lifted off?

I think the first thing you'll need to do is figure out where the water is coming from before you'll know what it takes to fix. The posts above have identified a few different possible sources, from external wiring to spaces inside the mast to gelcoat cracks around the step. The possibility of fixing without unstepping the mast will depend on what's really going on. Recommend that the next time you're at the boat you look closer at the area, take some more close up pictures, and try pouring and spraying water in different places to see if you can isolate the water source.

Siamese · Jan 16, 2018

Your lights are 12v.

O’day 27 jib sail help

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