Concerto
Well-known member
Just spent most of today creating a fix for a problem I have on my Westerly Fulmar and may be other boats have a similar problem. In very rough weather when green water crashes on the coachroof, it forces it way through the halyard slots in the wooden spray rail to which the sprayhood is fixed. This should not be a problem but Concerto is slightly bow down due to the engine being changed to a lighter one and I sail singlehanded. So when water gets under the spray hood, it does not run aft into the cockpit but forward along the main hatch rails and under the hatch box. It should just drain out on the lee side, but it does not. It enters the cabin onto the back of the headlining boards and then drips out along the joins. Somedays when there is a lot of water, lots of things including the cushions get damp.
The photographs show the halyard slots and how I have sealed them to stop at least 90+ % of this water entering the cabin. I had some 1mm sheet rubber left over from a rubber roof I fitted to a shed. For extra security I used a double layer. I accurately measured where the holes were required for the ropes. This was drawn on some over size rubber and then I cut holes using hollow steel punches the diameter of the ropes. As the spray rail is not at right angles to the rope, I had to elongate the holes sideways to accomodate this by using the cutter. On the port side, a slot was then cut to the bottom of the rubber so it can be fitted over the ropes. The front rubber was cut on the right side of the hole and the back rubber was cut on the left side of the hole. To secure the rubber I used some thin brass strip 10mm wide at the top and bottom. This was cut to length and drilled to ensure the rubber was securely held with brass screws. On the starboard side I decided to cut away the rubber under the holes as the brass strip covered the missing section.
The whole job was very fiddly and time consuming taking about 6 hours in total, but looks very neat and should solve the problem.
The port side halyard slot.
The starboard side halyard slot with 2 additional holes.
Marking out the rubber.
Ready to fix to the port side.
Ready to fit to starboard, but all of the lines touched the brass strip except the 2 through the holes which were slightly lower, hence the dip in the top of the lower strip.
Port side finished.
Starboard side finished.
The photographs show the halyard slots and how I have sealed them to stop at least 90+ % of this water entering the cabin. I had some 1mm sheet rubber left over from a rubber roof I fitted to a shed. For extra security I used a double layer. I accurately measured where the holes were required for the ropes. This was drawn on some over size rubber and then I cut holes using hollow steel punches the diameter of the ropes. As the spray rail is not at right angles to the rope, I had to elongate the holes sideways to accomodate this by using the cutter. On the port side, a slot was then cut to the bottom of the rubber so it can be fitted over the ropes. The front rubber was cut on the right side of the hole and the back rubber was cut on the left side of the hole. To secure the rubber I used some thin brass strip 10mm wide at the top and bottom. This was cut to length and drilled to ensure the rubber was securely held with brass screws. On the starboard side I decided to cut away the rubber under the holes as the brass strip covered the missing section.
The whole job was very fiddly and time consuming taking about 6 hours in total, but looks very neat and should solve the problem.
The port side halyard slot.
The starboard side halyard slot with 2 additional holes.
Marking out the rubber.
Ready to fix to the port side.
Ready to fit to starboard, but all of the lines touched the brass strip except the 2 through the holes which were slightly lower, hence the dip in the top of the lower strip.
Port side finished.
Starboard side finished.
