Soft wood along bottom of bulkhead - how bad is this, how to approach?

[LukeAvanti]

Hi all - another newbie question about my 1987 Catalina 30 Mk II. Port side in the saloon, the bulkhead just forward of the settee table: found soft wood along the bottom. Just the other side of this bulkhead is the head with shower; and I can see where some recaulking had been done by a prior owner

along the seam where the shower basin’s edge butts up to the bulkhead. So I’m guessing that’s most likely where the leak originated that did the damage to the bottom edge of the bulkhead.
So... how bad is this, what are my repair options?

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I'm guessing you could push a screwdriver halfway through the black parts of that bulkhead. I'm not familiar enough with the Cat 30's to know if it affects anything structurally. I can say that replacing a bulkhead is much easier and straightforward than it looks. It takes time no doubt but it's not complicated

 

[weekendrken]

OK, I see it now. Need more info!!!!

How deteriorated is it? Just the surface discolored? Is the core soft? Delaminated?
Is it not so bad that it could be dried out and reinforced with infusing epoxy?
More info? Help us help you with good info.

 

[LukeAvanti]

I haven’t pushed a spike into it yet to determine depth for sure. But it looks to be rotten, not just soft. Are there any options to consider besides replacing the entire bulkhead? (After first making sure, of course, that the underlying cause - the leak - has been cured.) For instance, could I cut away a strip of the bulkhead along the bottom, seal the new bottom edge, fit a replacement piece of well sealed marine ply in there, and then sister it up with a wider piece of marine ply bolted against the bulkhead? Or even fab up a piece of stainless to bolt to the bulkhead, with an L shaped piece along the bottom fitted to hull shape, for a wider load distribution? Spitballin’ here, might be totally naive ideas, but I’d love to hear what might be possible. Here’s my complicating factor: I’m seventy, not that experienced with diy repair projects, and with thumbs getting a bit arthritic. So most likely would need to hire done whatever needs to happen.

 

[nightowle]

If you successfully infuse epoxy in any reasonable way, I'd say your plan to sister in a new piece could work as long as you take into consideration reinforcing for lateral force as well as vertical. I'm assuming you won't be going far offshore, so for cruising purposes try it.

 

[weekendrken]

Potentially those you cite are solutions (not potential solutions until we know more.). Understand that anything you cob on will look cobbled up, but maybe that doesn’t matter to you. If you add plywood it needs to be properly scarfed onto what’s there, not just butted against it - probably not in your wheelhouse. Understand also the opposite side is white laminate so that will look really cobbled up.

If at all possible use what’s there and repair it. If the skins are still usable, even tho delaminated, it will likely show the best finished job (besides total R&R.)

 

[LukeAvanti]

Thanks all!

 

[jimgreen8c]

Lie on the port berth and look up. Those four big bolts anchor the chain plate for the upper shroud. That bulkhead is structural. I had to replace my starboard bulkhead because it was rotted and the shroud pulled it off the hull. It's time consuming but not difficult. Without that bulkhead being bolted at the bottom, the seam at the deck is what is keeping your mast from breaking.

 

[jssailem]

Without that bulkhead being bolted at the bottom, the seam at the deck is what is keeping your mast from breaking.