Replacing Cabin Sole

[Andy Howard]

My big winter project this year is to replace the Cabin Sole on Neverland, our 1984 Hunter 34.When we bought her last year, it was obvious that previous owners had attempted to repair the sole with numerous injections of epoxy. Nevertheless, the sole was quite spongy and obviously rotting in several areas.After studying the pictures provided by Dick Hall posted in the photo form under the heading Naked Bilge Pix (thanks again, Dick) and removing the metal table fitting on the sole I knew I had a standing water problem in the voids, common to these boats with internal stringers and support beams.So this past weekend, I removed the old sole and I have to admit it wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. Hunter used a lot of brass screws that are prone to stripping out if your not careful. But, I took my time, used penetrating oil and got most of them out without any problems. The sole is made of two sections, the starboard side section which runs under the table is a couple of feet wide and is in pretty good shape so I should be able to salvage it. That's good news since it means I'll only need one sheet of new flooring.I had to trim about 3 inches off the port section to get it through the companionway. I don't think this will be a problem as the part I removed runs under the port settee, and I should be able to brace the new sole and add a patch.In the large void forward the bilge compartment was about 1/2 inch of standing water. As Dick Hall suggested I intend to add an access hatch and turn the void into a chain locker. My other observation is that if you have this problem, it's a good idea to tackle it sooner rather than later. My sole was quite spongy to walk on and if I had waited another season or so, it might have broken apart as I removed it making it very difficult to use as a pattern for the new sole.The next weekend I get to go to the boat, I plan to replace some wiring, add messenger lines for future projects, and dremel out the existing weep holes. If anyone has any other suggestions while the bilge is exposed I would really appreciate them. I also need advice about how to waterproof the underside of the new sole. I've never worked with two-part epoxy, and also wonder if I put a rigid coating on the bottom and Profin on the top, I might cause a warping problem down the road. What do you guys think about just using Thompsons water seal or something similar on the bottom?

 

[Steve Dion]

Higher grade flooring too

Andy:Have you considered going to a real Teak and Holly floor over plywood? I have seen solid Teak

 

[Ben]

Rubber plugs

The water that I was getting into to area that caused the floor rot came primarily from the ice box drain. I have put rubber plugs in the drain hole in the stringer that allowed the water to flow forward rather than into the bilge. This is my first year with this setup and it has helped keep the moisture out of that forward hold. It still remains somewhat damp in it though.

 

[Steve Dion]

good point!

Be sure that you run the hose from the icebox to the bilge so water does not get trapped under the floor. Also consider adding a seperate sump for draining the shower and refrigerator.

 

[Andy Howard]

A seperate slump makes sense

My bilge is always wet because the A/C and Ref. drain directly to it. I'm thinking tupperware and a 500gph auto bilge pump would at least let me know about other leaks and keep the rest of the bilge dry.

 

[Clyde Lichtenwalner]

Plug Drain

While a separate sump for the ice box is a good idea, consider plugging the drain hole in the ice box. The drain is a great place for cold air to escape the ice box, and spilled milk or broken eggs reaching even a separate sump could cause unpleasent odors. We use a plastic hand pump to pump water out of the ice box. An alternative might be to plumb a hand operated galley pump into the hose from the ice box to the bilge. That hose runs directly under the galley sink. This easy mod. would allow you to use melted ice water at the sink for dishes, saving tank water.