Centaur Squidgy Foredeck Syndrome

dylanwinter

dylanwinter

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Mar 2005
Messages
12,954
Location
Buckingham
www.keepturningleft.co.uk
I am going to look at a dead Centaur with a squidgy foredeck that it acquired following a front end ding

the push pit is also bent and the ding let the moisture in

what are the consequences of a squidgy fore-deck

enlightenment sought

Dylan
 
I guess that the balsa filling is stuffed. You can fix it or ignore it, but fixing it requires cutting holes in the deck, routing out all the rotten balsa & then backfilling with something (resin & a lightweight filler?) to stiffen it up. For the sake of a couple of months utter thrashing, I wouldn't really expect it to fail.
 
Searush said:
I guess that the balsa filling is stuffed. You can fix it or ignore it, but fixing it requires cutting holes in the deck, routing out all the rotten balsa & then backfilling with something (resin & a lightweight filler?) to stiffen it up. For the sake of a couple of months utter thrashing, I wouldn't really expect it to fail.
Click to expand...

can I re-enforce it with wooden battens above and below and bolted together?


D
 
How about a backing of ply underneath and bolted through if your not too worried about looks. Maybe easier and quicker than battens?

Where is this in relation to forestay fitting? I can't remember how that is attached on the Centaur.
 
I know this is a bit off the wall but .... Some years ago I owned a touring caravan which suffered from a sqidgy floor. The dealer wanted a serious amount of money to remove the whole body and replace the floor which was ply and had delaminated. Then a man who serviced caravans suggested drilling some holes in the outer skin and injecting in some expanding foam. Worked a treat an cost about a fiver !!!


y
dylanwinter said:
can I re-enforce it with wooden battens above and below and bolted together?


D
Click to expand...
 
I guess you mean pulpit (bow) not pushpit, or is that bent too?

Personally, I would have alarm bells ringing at this point. It must have been a colossal "ding" to have made the foredeck squishy (a short, stout thing on a Centaur) and I would be far more concerned over the structural integrity of the topsides and the bow fitting.

The Centaur is generally built like a brick ****house, it had big box section gunwales and it just doesn't strike me as the kind of boat that gets a squishy foredeck through a "ding". Unless it's very localised, or had something big and heavy dropped on it, I would say there are bigger issues here.

Difficult to see without pics etc...but be wary!
 
My W21 did not have a cored forehead I am pretty sure. I don't know where I got the idea, but I have always assumed that Centaurs did not either. Stand to be corrected (and probably will be!). Always associated balsa cores with lighter, cheaper, builds then Loyds regulated Westerlies.
 
Sophie19 said:
My W21 did not have a cored forehead I am pretty sure. I don't know where I got the idea, but I have always assumed that Centaurs did not either. Stand to be corrected (and probably will be!). Always associated balsa cores with lighter, cheaper, builds then Loyds regulated Westerlies.
Click to expand...

me too

I hope we shall soon learn more when an expert appears

I have emailed my centaur anatomist but he is busy

D

I did mean pulpit....

and all boats at this price level will have problems

some are worse than others
 
Last edited:
Dylan. It might depend on the age of the Centaur, I have a later one (1978/9) and it does not have balsa/core forward of the hatch. I think there may be some a lot further back behind the mast, around the coach roof. Hope this one is a go-er for you.
 
That's good. It is said that the later Centaurs had a lot of the early problems ironed out, better keel fittings and the leak over the windows due to the shroud/ chain plates issue (extent of my knowledge but I'm sure you've read more than me by now). Mine is a B lay out too. If you need to remove the headlining irrespective of what you do next use the best ventilation mask you can, I used the method recommended by Hawke House (angle grinder and special brillo pad type disc)and despite being as careful as I could had a persistent cough for weeks after. That was the dust and nothing to do with glue....
 
I had a Jag25 years ago which had a creaking foredeck due to a knackered balsa core. the surveyor said to drill a series of holes in it (about 12 inches apart), and then use a big syringe to squirt resin into each hole until it comes out of the ones next door.

I guess you'll need warm, thin resin with a slow hardener though (I wouldn't know because I never bothered with it).
 
Dylan has a handy epoxy source possibly?
Be wise that wet is wet and epoxy doesn't stick until you dry it out ( and remove rotten debris and salt)

Now, in true ''lets not muck about 'ere '' fashion, I offer you the two sheets of shuttering ply, a handsaw and a 12pack of Liquid Nails from Screwfix ..20minutes ( plus painting) ...?

In true workboat fashion.

The pullpit will unmangle with some 2x4s tied on and used as levers, judiciously..

Actually your batten-it-top-and-bottom is fine and fit for purpose..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top