When we had our 1990 Hunter 35.5 surveyed, the aft bulk head was found rotted. In order to fix it we had to remove the fuel tank by cutting it out. We are now having difficulty finding the largest size tank to fit back in through the aft port lazarette. Does any one know of a good size replacement?
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I have the bigger brother 37.5
and had to replace the wooden cleat behind and above the big rear aft cabin access cover because it was a little rotten. I am referring to the removable plywood panel which is held in place with three slide latches. The cleat I am talking about supports the shelf in the first set of compartments with the big covers which hinge toward the center of the boat. The bulkhead and shelf are still solid but would have rotted too if I had not replaced the cleat. Can you tell me where your boat was leaking? I have reseated the cockpit ports and sealed all of the screw holes under the quadrant cover with epoxy. I cannot tell any other place where water is coming in but it weeps slowly out of the upper center bulge in my aft cabin head liner which is just under the pedestal. After a rain, it drips for days. I cannot figure out where it is coming in or where it accumulates. I am assuming that it wicks out from the headliner somehow. I do not know about your fuel tank but I just replaced my holding tank with a 28 gallon polyethylene one made by Moeller. It is 15.5 inches high, 23.5 inches deep, and 20 inches wide. I had to put it in with the fittings to the rear and cut out the bulkhead to the very aft compartment to hook it up. I also had to build a platform and bracing for it but it fits - barely. The teak trim which holds the big access cover had to come off to get that tank in. You might need to do the same. Just gently pry the top trim piece down in the middle and cut it with a thin kerf Japanese trim saw. Then you can pry out all of the trim one piece at a time. This trim is stapled into the bulkhead so you may have fixed that somehow yourself by now. I am interested in more of the details of the bulkhead replacement you just did. Do you not have an access cover now? Is that why you need to put the tank in from the top? Does your boat have two sets of lazarettes like my 37.5? A few more details would help us understand your situation.
and had to replace the wooden cleat behind and above the big rear aft cabin access cover because it was a little rotten. I am referring to the removable plywood panel which is held in place with three slide latches. The cleat I am talking about supports the shelf in the first set of compartments with the big covers which hinge toward the center of the boat. The bulkhead and shelf are still solid but would have rotted too if I had not replaced the cleat. Can you tell me where your boat was leaking? I have reseated the cockpit ports and sealed all of the screw holes under the quadrant cover with epoxy. I cannot tell any other place where water is coming in but it weeps slowly out of the upper center bulge in my aft cabin head liner which is just under the pedestal. After a rain, it drips for days. I cannot figure out where it is coming in or where it accumulates. I am assuming that it wicks out from the headliner somehow. I do not know about your fuel tank but I just replaced my holding tank with a 28 gallon polyethylene one made by Moeller. It is 15.5 inches high, 23.5 inches deep, and 20 inches wide. I had to put it in with the fittings to the rear and cut out the bulkhead to the very aft compartment to hook it up. I also had to build a platform and bracing for it but it fits - barely. The teak trim which holds the big access cover had to come off to get that tank in. You might need to do the same. Just gently pry the top trim piece down in the middle and cut it with a thin kerf Japanese trim saw. Then you can pry out all of the trim one piece at a time. This trim is stapled into the bulkhead so you may have fixed that somehow yourself by now. I am interested in more of the details of the bulkhead replacement you just did. Do you not have an access cover now? Is that why you need to put the tank in from the top? Does your boat have two sets of lazarettes like my 37.5? A few more details would help us understand your situation.
D
Dave
The swim grid bulkhead replacement.
The bulkhead is in the far aft lockers, not the cockpit lockers. I'm not sure yet where the water came from that rotted the wall, but it probably came from in front where the holding tank sits. The holding tank has been replaced and there is an access door cut into the aft berth bulkhead. We could have put in a larger tank if we removed the holding tank (which was half full) and removed both batteries. We chose to go through the locker hatch instead. We will probably carry extra portable plastic tanks when we go up the coast to Desolation Sound, and we will be lighter with a smaller tank if we decide to race. Dave
The bulkhead is in the far aft lockers, not the cockpit lockers. I'm not sure yet where the water came from that rotted the wall, but it probably came from in front where the holding tank sits. The holding tank has been replaced and there is an access door cut into the aft berth bulkhead. We could have put in a larger tank if we removed the holding tank (which was half full) and removed both batteries. We chose to go through the locker hatch instead. We will probably carry extra portable plastic tanks when we go up the coast to Desolation Sound, and we will be lighter with a smaller tank if we decide to race. Dave
I would guess that your leak is under
the steering quadrant cover. That may be what you call the swim grid. There are 6 screws which hold it down. Mine had numerous holes which were a result of someone relocating them probably because some of them had stripped out. My advice is to take off that cover and take a look. There are some cables and wiring which pass out of the pedestal and then back into the deck under this cover. Mine was poorly sealed. I remounted my cover by putting a wooden plywood tab on the front underside of the cover. It fits under the pedestal bracket and holds the front of the cover down. To retain the cover in place, I made two wooden tabs just aft of the quadrant and on top of the deck. The new retaining screws for the cover now pass horizontally through the back of the cover and then into these tabs. Now there are no holes through the deck to hold that cover on. Incidentally, my leaking problem seems to have been fixed by the reseating of the cockpit opening ports. I will reseal them tomorrow if it is not pouring down rain.
the steering quadrant cover. That may be what you call the swim grid. There are 6 screws which hold it down. Mine had numerous holes which were a result of someone relocating them probably because some of them had stripped out. My advice is to take off that cover and take a look. There are some cables and wiring which pass out of the pedestal and then back into the deck under this cover. Mine was poorly sealed. I remounted my cover by putting a wooden plywood tab on the front underside of the cover. It fits under the pedestal bracket and holds the front of the cover down. To retain the cover in place, I made two wooden tabs just aft of the quadrant and on top of the deck. The new retaining screws for the cover now pass horizontally through the back of the cover and then into these tabs. Now there are no holes through the deck to hold that cover on. Incidentally, my leaking problem seems to have been fixed by the reseating of the cockpit opening ports. I will reseal them tomorrow if it is not pouring down rain.
35.5 water leaks / rotten aft bulkhead
We have a 1990 35.5 with the same aft bulkhead rot problem. What I think I may have found with the leaking problem is the area under the steering quadrent. I removed the quadrent (boat on the hard, rudder supported) and the nylon spacers. I found the area around where the rudder shaft tube is attched to the deck open on the upper deck skin with a large gap. The plywood core was very wet. I dryed and cleaned the area. I installed the first wider nylon spacer with 3m 101, 2 small SS screws and put everything back together. The aft lockers and bulkheads are both dry now. When I take the boat out of the water in the fall I will do a much more permenit fix rather than the 101 patch. Also I have cut a opening in the bulkhead in the aft cabin to repair the rotten bulkheads. Anyone know if this bulkhead is structual? I may just replace the cut out with opening doors so I can get to the fuel tank and batteries easier.
We have a 1990 35.5 with the same aft bulkhead rot problem. What I think I may have found with the leaking problem is the area under the steering quadrent. I removed the quadrent (boat on the hard, rudder supported) and the nylon spacers. I found the area around where the rudder shaft tube is attched to the deck open on the upper deck skin with a large gap. The plywood core was very wet. I dryed and cleaned the area. I installed the first wider nylon spacer with 3m 101, 2 small SS screws and put everything back together. The aft lockers and bulkheads are both dry now. When I take the boat out of the water in the fall I will do a much more permenit fix rather than the 101 patch. Also I have cut a opening in the bulkhead in the aft cabin to repair the rotten bulkheads. Anyone know if this bulkhead is structual? I may just replace the cut out with opening doors so I can get to the fuel tank and batteries easier.
D
D Workman
Thanks for the info.
I suspect you are right because no other explanation makes sense. The boat goes back in the water tomorrow, I hope I have time to inspect the steering quadrant first. The repair to the aft bulkhead is done. The doors in the aft berth bulkhead make sense and we are going to do the same ( we now have a small cutout there ). I think good solid framing will continue to provide the needed support to the bulkhead. Dave
I suspect you are right because no other explanation makes sense. The boat goes back in the water tomorrow, I hope I have time to inspect the steering quadrant first. The repair to the aft bulkhead is done. The doors in the aft berth bulkhead make sense and we are going to do the same ( we now have a small cutout there ). I think good solid framing will continue to provide the needed support to the bulkhead. Dave
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