Recently I asked a question about buying a "fixer-upper". Most of the answers I received indicated that the less fixing I have to do the better. That said, I still have to be Frugal as I am on a very limited budget. (VA disability is my only income) I have found a 35' boat that appears to be in decent to fair condition. Wireing has to be redone. No sweat there. Owner admits to a few soft spots in after deck. I presume this means the deck has become delaminiated from moisture and has to be repaired. Is this a big deal? Also engine (westerbeke 21) hasn't run in two years.????? Reason is boat is on hard and hasn't been in water for more than two years. Which means thrust bearing and stuffing box will have to be repacked also. (I presume there is a thrust bearing from my other experiences with heavy equipment) I have a fair amount of experience with repairing stuff, first from a farm and then in heavy equipment) but all this is new to me. However, I would rather invest sweat into a boat instead of money cause I ain't got no money. All advice will be cheerfully and greatfully considered.
Soft spots
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There was a recnt article in one of the sailing magazines (maybe Good Old Boat?) about repairing delaminated decks. I've never done it, but it looks like a huge (and expensive) project that is quite labor intensive. See if you can locate the article - it might help you decide whether to take that boat on or keep looking. Good luck!
I have not heard the term "thrust bearing" used around boat engines. Packing glands for prop shafts are not that tough, though they can be hard to reach sometimes.
Soft spots can be costly and hard to repair.
What type of boat and what price range are you looking at?
Soft spots can be costly and hard to repair.
What type of boat and what price range are you looking at?
To properly repair delaminated decks with rotten core, requires cutting away one side of the laminate, removing the rotten core material and replacing it, and then re-laminating the new core to the existing layer of laminate and adding a replacement layer of laminate to the other side.
While this is a RPITA, and time consuming, and somewhat costly in terms of materials, it can be done by most people with a fair degree of success.
However, I would point out that getting a boat that is in good shape is often far less expensive than getting a "fixer-upper" in terms of overall costs.
While this is a RPITA, and time consuming, and somewhat costly in terms of materials, it can be done by most people with a fair degree of success.
However, I would point out that getting a boat that is in good shape is often far less expensive than getting a "fixer-upper" in terms of overall costs.
Soft Decks
I'll try to be a little more positive than some other reply's. First I think that what you are calling a thrust bearing, on boats is in the transmission. That should be no problem. If the engine was in good condition before it was put up, should be fine. I would recommend that before starting it up, you spin it over with the compression release open and get the oil circulated, and some oil pressure on things. You can start it up on the hard by providing some cooling water. Most Westerbekes are fresh water cooled, so if you take the belt off the fresh water pump, you could actually run it for a couple minutes with no cooling water other than that in the system. Just be very careful, and don't let it get hot. If it's rawwater cooled, I wouldn't recommend doing this.
As for the soft spots. You didn't give any indication how large, or the exact areas. If they are small, you can inject some penetrating epoxy. This is not really recommended by most, but I think that for a small area it is probably OK. You haven't lost much if it doesn't work, and is probably not going to be a permanent fix. Main thing is to make sure that whatever is letting the moisture in, is sealed up so no farther damage is done.
I'll try to be a little more positive than some other reply's. First I think that what you are calling a thrust bearing, on boats is in the transmission. That should be no problem. If the engine was in good condition before it was put up, should be fine. I would recommend that before starting it up, you spin it over with the compression release open and get the oil circulated, and some oil pressure on things. You can start it up on the hard by providing some cooling water. Most Westerbekes are fresh water cooled, so if you take the belt off the fresh water pump, you could actually run it for a couple minutes with no cooling water other than that in the system. Just be very careful, and don't let it get hot. If it's rawwater cooled, I wouldn't recommend doing this.
As for the soft spots. You didn't give any indication how large, or the exact areas. If they are small, you can inject some penetrating epoxy. This is not really recommended by most, but I think that for a small area it is probably OK. You haven't lost much if it doesn't work, and is probably not going to be a permanent fix. Main thing is to make sure that whatever is letting the moisture in, is sealed up so no farther damage is done.
the book
A great book that might help with some of your questions is Don Casey's Sailboat maintenance manual. It helped with a lot of my questions.
I disagree... penetrating epoxy does nothing to strengthen the core material that is rotted, especially if it is wet—since most penetrating epoxies won't bond to wet rotted wood. If you use a thickened epoxy, it won't penetrate, nor will it prevent the wood from rotting or getting wet again—and it will leave little projecting epoxy stalagtites that will make doing a proper repair later a lot tougher.
I agree, that however they decide to deal with the soft spots, the leaks that caused them must be dealt with first.
I agree, that however they decide to deal with the soft spots, the leaks that caused them must be dealt with first.
I've done a few deck repairs, and while it isn't a sunday afternoon project, it's no reason to shy away from a boat.
My preffered tools are a cordless skill saw with a fine blade, and a good sander or small grinder to clean up the old bonding agent from the inner surface. On most boats I've done I was able to re-use the original skin, which saves a bit of time/money if its in good shape, if it's rough and ragged it's better to lay new glass and start fresh.
For small areas, I have often cut plywood into small squares (3" or so) then space them a bit to allow the resin to fill the space between them to keep each square isolated in case water does get in, that way the damage will be limited to a 3x3 area.
Larger areas I prefer using end grain balsa.
The epoxy injection works for small areas, but makes it a real pain if you have to do a recore later.
If you have more time than money, go for it. Often a soft core will knock several thousand dollars off a boats price, but can be repaired for a couple hundred if you do the work yourself.
Ken.
My preffered tools are a cordless skill saw with a fine blade, and a good sander or small grinder to clean up the old bonding agent from the inner surface. On most boats I've done I was able to re-use the original skin, which saves a bit of time/money if its in good shape, if it's rough and ragged it's better to lay new glass and start fresh.
For small areas, I have often cut plywood into small squares (3" or so) then space them a bit to allow the resin to fill the space between them to keep each square isolated in case water does get in, that way the damage will be limited to a 3x3 area.
Larger areas I prefer using end grain balsa.
The epoxy injection works for small areas, but makes it a real pain if you have to do a recore later.
If you have more time than money, go for it. Often a soft core will knock several thousand dollars off a boats price, but can be repaired for a couple hundred if you do the work yourself.
Ken.
I have rebuilt a boat and can say without hesitation that each time I took something out because it needed repair I uncovered something else. When I was through I was starting from a bare hull. For some of the work you need to be a contortionist and it doesn't hurt to have someone who can grab your ankles and drag you out of some hole that you jammed yourself into. All of the work can be done by one person except the heavy lifting then two people are needed. Since this may be the only boat you will have you want it to be as right as you can make it. If you understand the difference between a "fix" and a "repair" and make certain that your work isn't going to let you down later you will be able to make a proper job of it. Read as many books about refitting old boats as you can find. There are advances in technique in all areas of boat repair so read the old and the new.
I have a big mushy spot in the bottom of the cockpit toward the companionway. This has to be one of my first projects when I get it to a dock. It does however look like a good exscuse to go ahead and build a bridge deck. This kind of work doesn't seem that bad to me as long as you can do it from the outside of the boat, atleast when it comes to the deck. Trying to epoxy overhead takes alot more work and tougher to get the fiberglass free of air bubbles.
Fiberglass work may seem intimidating at first but once you start working with it you will want to fiberglass everything.
Fiberglass work may seem intimidating at first but once you start working with it you will want to fiberglass everything.
I built a bridgedeck for my boat three seasons ago.Here are before and after photos of the forward end of the cockpit.
I am very farmiliar with your bridgedeck saildog. If you go to google and search for pictures of sailboat bridgedecks your's is on the first page. I checked out your site too. Cool.
Also I am going to take this opportunity of chopping apart my cockpit floor to build someway that my shcnauzzer will be able to go up on deck with out my help.
Also I am going to take this opportunity of chopping apart my cockpit floor to build someway that my shcnauzzer will be able to go up on deck with out my help.
cool....i didn't know that.
Let me know how it goes.... btw, is it a full-size schnauzer?
Dog
He is miniature. Fits almost anywhere, even the foredeck of a kayak with his mama.
BTW saiildog, your bridgedeck is on the first page if you search "bridgedeck" not
"sailboat bridgedeck"
He is miniature. Fits almost anywhere, even the foredeck of a kayak with his mama.
BTW saiildog, your bridgedeck is on the first page if you search "bridgedeck" not
"sailboat bridgedeck"
Attachments
So, he's a pocketbook dog... Making it so that he can get out of the cabin by himself will take a fair bit of work.
Making it so that he can get out of the cabin by himself will take a fair bit of work. In my experance there is nothing budget on a 35' boat
In fact it never stops amazing me how much i have spent of my fix-up J24 that really did not need all that much fix-up , i few lights and wire ended up in the 400 dollar range
Just buying wire on a 35 boat at the best internet price would cost a huge amount of money
In fact it never stops amazing me how much i have spent of my fix-up J24 that really did not need all that much fix-up , i few lights and wire ended up in the 400 dollar range
Just buying wire on a 35 boat at the best internet price would cost a huge amount of money
To wire it correctly would cost a small fortune. I don't know how people wire a windlass. I'd move my whole electrical system to the anchor locker before I'd pay that much for the cable.
He can almost make it up the companionway ladder. In a catalina 30 there is a big open area under the cockpit, so I was thinking like a spiral staircase that comes up from the side of the existing ladder. Really it would just be a couple of bigger platforms that he could stand on.
He can almost make it up the companionway ladder. In a catalina 30 there is a big open area under the cockpit, so I was thinking like a spiral staircase that comes up from the side of the existing ladder. Really it would just be a couple of bigger platforms that he could stand on.
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