Wood rotting in cabin of 1978 Catalina 27': How to fix???

[Charrob]

We've had our 1978 Catalina 27' for a few years now. This is our first boat and are learning as we go. We keep her in the water all winter as our marina has a bubble system to keep ice from freezing around the boats.

At the end of each season we take out all the seat cushions, etc., in the boat and put in our attic. Over the winter the inside gets pretty disgusting -- a lot of black mold and dirt particularly on the starboard side. So at the beginning of each season we spend a couple days really scrubbing her down with comet to get rid of the mold.

This past weekend we spent our time scrubbing her down with comet. We also scrub over the interior wood as well -- never see any mold on it but figured it was good to give everything a good spring scrub down.

Yesterday we noticed that the bottom of the wood wall between the bathroom and rest of cabin was literally falling apart. As we were scrubbing it was literally all just breaking off; now there's a hole at the bottom between the bathroom and rest of cabin on the starboard side. And it would be easy to continue to break it off by hand but we didn't. Just spraying the comet off with the hose broke off the wood.

1. Are we supposed to be doing something to maintain this wood other than washing down with soap each spring?
2. I guess it would be considered rotten at this point?
   
3. How should this get fixed?

 

[centerline]

the bulkhead needs to be replaced.... there is no other fix or "cure" for it.
if its the bulkhead that has the chain plates attached to it that is falling apart, then you have a severe and immediate structural problem.....
and while you are having that repaired, get the leaks fixed also, and add some ventilation so the boat stays dry... then the mold wont grow and it wont rot out the wood again.....

 

[Joe]

It's not a big problem to fix.... https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=replace+bulkhead+catalina+27

BTW on a Catalina 27, both starboard and port bulkheads anchor their respective chain plates. They're just shaped differently. Still not a big deal... you just need to remove the bolts, not extract the plates through the deck. But if I were redoing mine I would remove and re bed the chain plates... since that is the most common area that leaks moisture into the wood. I have seen C27 chain plate mods that link them to brackets tabbed into hull at base of bulkhead.

 

[JohnVTX]

A small heater running in the winter and ventilation blowing out will keep the moisture out and prevent the mold growth. All you should have to do in the spring is dust.