sealing cockpit floor

Jul 26, 2010
14
Greeetings! I am rebuilding a Challenger cockpit that had new floor joists cut and placed (not by me). NOw I am close to closing it up, placing a fabricated floor of 7/8 inch epoxied and teak stripped marine plywood, with the 3 access portals and 2 floor drains from original floor. New floor seats upon support beams along cockpit sides, and rests on several (replacement) crossbars. My question: how is the floor sealed in place along edges, to prevent water flooding, but still allow periodic floor removal (for prop shaft acess, steering cable adjustment, fix, stuffing box packing, perhaps an autopiot install.)? Lots of lifecaulk and some wood trim brad nailed to cockpit seats?


Do others take their cockpit floor up , or only use access from large portal and from lockers on both sides? .
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
I still have the orginal cockpit sole.

And yes, I only access the engine, shaft area through the manhole in the sole. It's hard to say without pictures (any chance you could post some?), but I can't see why you would want to take the entire sole out.
 

SKraft

.
Oct 15, 2010
45
The Caravelle also has a sealed cockpit with a large "manhole" forward of the binacal. To the autopilot , shaft and steering cables more accessible, I did cut the interior lazzarette side panels in half so I only need remove half of the screws (front panel or rear panel). I think I'd be affraid to have a removeable cockpit sole should the boat ever get pooped.

Scott Kraft
 

JayZ

.
Dec 4, 2007
60
Hodgdon Bros. Alden Caravelle Seabrook, Texas
Tom and Scott,


I am curious how your manhole cover seals up. On Banjo Girl the manhole cover seals by turning six or so large head machine screws a couple of turns and snugging the manole down on its gasket.

Mine drips a little bit into the mechanical area when it rains or we take a wave since most of the threads for the machine screws are pretty well shot and therefore it is hard to get a good seal to the gasket.

I am in the process of putting stainless helicoils in to the base of the manole. I also am going to make a new gasket/o-ring. .thinking neoprene for this - either of y'all have any thoughts?

I have also seen some that the entire manhole cover itself is threaded and screws down into the manole cover.
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Jayz, mine leaks like a sieve! I was planning on pulling it this winter to see if I can repair a few broken/frozen screws. I was hoping the threads would still be usable in the cover(maybe not).

The screws are unique, are there replacements available?

I'm thinking of replacing the gasket as well. I'd like to know what others have done. I hope you find some of these solutions.
 

SKraft

.
Oct 15, 2010
45
Our manhole leaks as well. It tightens by turning what appears to be custum machined screw on top, level on bottom, just half a turn from opened to locked. The gasket needs to be very thin and very very compressable.

I have a customer here in NJ who makes custom gaskets. If our dimensions are the same, maybe he'll cut us a break. As the boat is now under wraps in Rhode Island, it will be awhile before I get to pull the manhole cover.

I'll report back at that time.
 
Apr 7, 2006
103
I don't know but what the screws are a standard course thread with one half the head ground off. That way when you screw them down they seal the hatch down to the gasket. The trick is to find the happy medium where the hatch is sealed but the threads aren't too tight.
I did remove the whole hatch and ran a bead of boatlife (or something similar) around/under the outer casing and then refastened that down to the the cockpit sole. A good cleaning of the gasket between the cover and rim did the trick for a watertight seal.

I have no problem with stripped/broken screws but plan to lube them with silicone- this seems to be the lube of choice around the water. Interestingly enough WD 40 et al lets sand and dirt stick to everything which just gums up the threads- learned that from beach bike owners to keep the sand out of the gears, etc.

Read that in the south that bronze hatch can cook an egg in the summer at 1200 hrs- in Southport it just warms the feet!!
 

SKraft

.
Oct 15, 2010
45
I didn't realize that the hatch on the Challenger was all bronze. The Caravelle has a stainless rim, a non-skid fiberglass overlay on the bronze manhole cover with a bronze finger lift in the center. Temperature has never been a problem but the sheer weight is, when lifting it with two fingers.
 

JayZ

.
Dec 4, 2007
60
Hodgdon Bros. Alden Caravelle Seabrook, Texas
Thanks all for the response to my questions.

The manhole on Banjo Girl is aluminum. The screws which seem to be custom are stainless. That is what I suspect caused my problem - stainless screws into an aluminum housing. I am hoping that putting stainless helicoils and usinng some lanolin or neverseize cures that issue. My fasteners all seem to be in good shape but two are very stuck still so we'll see when I get them out what they look like. I don't think it would be too hard for a machine shop to make new screws Speaking of machine shops, I've thought about taking my cover to a friends shop and having them put some sort of receptacle in it to accept a post for a cockpit table.

just to clarify my earlier post it is the manhole that has the problems with the threads, the screws all seem to be in good shape.

I plan on having mine leak free by the end of the fall. I'll report back.
 
Apr 7, 2006
103
If you use never seize with aluminum remember to use the never seize with no copper in it. Copper + salt water + aluminum is not pretty!