LOTS of Water inside boat interior hull :(

Wow, that's just what I was looking for. Could I tie a rope around the mast and tie it to the hand railings? Other than that there isn't really anything else to tie to? there's no other cables coming from the mast to the bow other than this one. I hope it doesn't fall down in me when I remove both baby stay and forestay roller from the bow sprit. :s

Also is the sampson post not required for the strength of the bowsprit? I'm wondering why the previous owners didn't just remove it.

Thank you :D
 
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Leave the roller gear on while you deal with the deck, if you must remove it then take a good line from the masthead to the bowsprit.

I doubt the bowsprit was fitted without fixing the inboard end to the samson post so I would leave that, although it is a pain to seal. I would seal it with a plate over the lot and a good deal of sealer of the adhesive type, no screws or bolts.

You are unlikely to want to return the thing to boat show condition so I would do what you can to get some sailing. So cut the deck from below, as neatly as you can, and insert a piece of ply in place of failed soft stuff. Live with the fact that the bow section will still have wet stuff in it, you might be able to seal the edge before the underdeck goes back. replace the baby stay with oversize plate top and bottom, seal with adhesive/seal again of the Sikaflex type.

Power would be really handy can you borrow a genset?
 
doug748 said:
Leave the roller gear on while you deal with the deck, if you must remove it then take a good line from the masthead to the bowsprit.

I doubt the bowsprit was fitted without fixing the inboard end to the samson post so I would leave that, although it is a pain to seal. I would seal it with a plate over the lot and a good deal of sealer of the adhesive type, no screws or bolts.

You are unlikely to want to return the thing to boat show condition so I would do what you can to get some sailing. So cut the deck from below, as neatly as you can, and insert a piece of ply in place of failed soft stuff. Live with the fact that the bow section will still have wet stuff in it, you might be able to seal the edge before the underdeck goes back. replace the baby stay with oversize plate top and bottom, seal with adhesive/seal again of the Sikaflex type.

Power would be really handy can you borrow a genset?
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Hi mate, yes I have a generator now :)

Also the Sampson post is rotten at the deck level and I'm unaware how bad this is. There's a square cut out of the bowsprit where it slots in and this area has rotted. Smells too, so I temporarily capped it with silicone.
 
Here are two photos. They're the same, ones been coloured yellow to indicate the soft squashy flexible area when I walk on it. I done a test drill from below deck into the centre of the yellow section of fiberglass, on the end of my drill was soggy wet white/yellow light coloured wood. Not black?

 
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I would question whether you really need a bow sprit. In any case a shorter bow sprit means less load on everything. The bow sprit may have a stay from the front end down tot he bow to take the forestay loads.
If not then the forestay loads are going to pivot on the bow and tend to push down the inboard end. hence the original idea of a sampson post. However I think it should be possible to reinforce the deck from underneath to allow discard sampson post. Especially so if bowsprit front overhang is shortened to reduce leverage.
I think if it were me I would throw away the bow sprit and sampson post (all rotten anyway) and fit a wide stainless steel strap from down the bow up to deck level then bent back a little to take forestay and reefing gear or jib foot.
It would be practical to ignore the squishy deck at least short term (get out sailing ) But you need a good forestay attachment amd a good inner (baby) forestay attachment. This latter can be extended by a piece of rigging wire attached to the under side of the baby stay deck attachment down to furniture or keel whatever is strong. Fit a turn screw so this can be tightened to take load off deck. Just think in terms of the baby stay load in the same straight line as the stay and extended it under neath to something strong.
Think in terms of enough strength for inner and main forestay to lift the front of the boat. good luck olewill
 
I'd be cutting that yellow section out underneath with a dremel / angle grinder. It'll be unpleasant to do, but its the best way.

Then you either have free air to dry the balsa core or replace with some ply / foam. although its not black I have my doubts you'll get it dry without removing some. Specially as you started this off as a how do I dry out my boat thread! (With no mains power etc).

I'd glue the core in by applying resin to the upper layer and sticking the core on. Thats not too tricky. Then you have the choice of replacing the old fibreglass roof or gluing it back in. Either way One big CSM layer over the whole lot when done to tidy it up. I'd sneak in a cross brace or two as well for strength and it'll help hold it there when fixing. It WILL be messy, and it is a confined space so be careful.

I'm not convinced the bowsprit can be getting much strength from the Sampson. I'd take it right out I think, but I'd also replace the bowsprit to go right back, thereby gaining more surface area for it to be attached to and put load through. Then the baby stay through the back of the extend sprit, and ideally through a cross brace on the underside. If you did feel the sampson was useful I'd still remove it and put a new one in that doesn't cross the deck so it supports the deck and then things are screwed through the deck to it. Some people achieve this with a metal pole.

ALTERNATIVELY if you are desperate to get sailing... 5 x 50mm holes cut with a holesaw from underneath. Plenty heat and ventilation. Remove baby stay fitting. apply plenty sikkaflex replace fitting. Duck Tape up the hatch. (watch the ventilation!) Cap the Sampson off with a layer of CSM and flow coat over it.

BUT - would you trust it? You'll want to rip it all out in 6 months to make it good.
 
Ok first part of the repair today, removed the window and rotted wood it was mounted to.. It was completely rotted!!! I grinded and sanded the fiberglass hole, and from below deck duck taped some grease proof paper and cardboard over the hole. I went back above deck and added two huge pieces of fiberglass it used almost 500ml resin!!!! Also it's sagged into the hole impossible to stop due to the shape of the deck in this area. I may add a few more layers of fiberglass then try to fill it with something. What can I fill the sagged fiberglass with?

As for the next part of my repair, somehow removing the bowsprit and roller fuller which I'm assuming has a forestay built into it? How do I first support the mast? Any pictures of videos of how to do it?

Thanks!!
 
What are you trying to achieve with the hatch repair? Sealing it? A hatch? Will there be any ventilation etc in it? Would fitting ventilation fill the sag?
(Maybe this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ECS-STAIN...hash=item5655d3afd2:m:maneXoPBu5j7MBc39bJ1KUw - although without having it in my hand I don't know if this would be good or bad for the job.)
On the other hand if its sagged then fitting a vent and getting a good seal may be tricky.

It shouldn't have sagged. It means your backing wasn't strong enough. Some 9mm MDF held in place with some battons would be strong enough. BUT if its now waterproof for now you might want to move on to the next bit to fix.

So if stage 2 is the bowsprit and sampson post... you need to have some form of "forestay" - Or you need to drop the mast. You need to find something STRONG to attach it to at the bow. If the steel rails around your bow are sound then I'd look there. Hard to know what you've got, if its not got something central to attach to I'd take a decent bit of rope (8-10mm minimum) and attach to both sides of the metal railings (will distribute the load and allow it to apply centrally to mast). Then I'd use the main halyard and bring it to the new mounting point. Secure and tension to tight enough to 'twang' when given a decent flick with a hard object.

Now release the forestay.

You ideally want a decent weather window...
 
Thank, I've had a good think about your posts and decided to reconsider my options. I took some new photos and ended up spending 3 hours just staring at the mess of this boat... I feel helpless now. No motivation. Here's my photos anyway and ideas scribbled into them.

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Venomgrass said:
Thank, I've had a good think about your posts and decided to reconsider my options. I took some new photos and ended up spending 3 hours just staring at the mess of this boat... I feel helpless now. No motivation. Here's my photos anyway and ideas scribbled into them.

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Click to expand...
I'm going to reply to each photo in a seperate post - mostly for my convenience. These are far clearer photos by the way so gives a much better picture of what "we" are dealing with. Everyone on a project boat has periods of despair. Try and stick with it. Even if you were to decide to move on you'd stand a far better chance of selling it on if you've made it water tight.

So this first picture is actually really good. For someone who's not done any glassing before I have to say I am impressed. The good news is that looks like you've now made this waterproof (akthough technically you need gel/flow coat on it to make it waterproof 100%). Come back to the window plan once you sort the other issues. You've marked up for non-slip tape. The better solution would be to apply flow coat mixed with fine sand or a specific non-slip powder.

I will come back to the bow sprit.
 
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Personally I think like you've mentioned before there may be issues with sail sizes etc. So while I'd want to take the sprit off because it looks past its best, I'd want to replace it. I don't know what its made of but fundamentally its a lump of presumably hard wood. I'd replace it with one that extends back as far as possible. The rails would be fine to attach the mainsail halyard to, to act as a temporary forestay.

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Not sure what that backing is either. I'm no expert but I didn't think asbestos was a particularly great material for structural use - great for insulation but crap at taking a load. Assuming this is an aftermarket install I'd have expected it to be more likely some 9mm Marine Ply! Asbestos is dangerous as dust. Can you push a point into it like a bradle? That shouldn't produce dust, but put a piece of tape on it first and pierce the tape and push bradle in... If there is anything that makes you think it genuinely might be asbestos the safest option may be to leave it as is and perhaps seal it in with a layer of matting and resin. Asbestos is safe till you breathe it in!


Don't try and remove the post - its too bonded in. Just cut it below the deck level.

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Not sure I know where that is or whats going on there at all. But gaps are rarely good. My biggest concern is that when you take the spritt off you will open up issues you don't currently see and then need to urgently fix. That being because you are working on a boat afloat...

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Do you think the metal work is original? If so I'd whip the screws out (they look loose) fill the holes (some kitchen scourer soaked in resin and pushed into the hole is an amazing thing! Re-drill and insert new screw with a small dose of sikkaflex, then sikka the gap around the sides. If its a later addition then based on the other workmanship I'm afraid I'd want to know whats underneath!
 
Again mate thank you for your experience input!

For the photograph you don't know where it's at. It's a photo looking over the port side of the bow underneath the bowsprit. The metal part is the metal work you referred to in your comment and in the picture below. The gap with silicone in is the bottom of the bowsprit wood which overhangs the boats bow. I've attached a video of water which keeps coming under the boats floorboards.

The bilge however is almost dry, oly a small amount of water after 3 days, but the floorboards appears to not be connected to the bilge, see the video below please.

View My Video
 
You are only gonna know whats going on there once you take the sprit off and possibly the metal work.

So the window hasn't sealed the leak. But you know you've got leaks around the post and the stay. Both need sealed and possibly that stuff at the front. ??Break out the duck tape?? You kind of want to know there is nothing else leaking...

Then the other thing is can you join the floorspace to the bilge? Need to get it drained... and need if it ever re-filled for it to drain...
 
Yeah, I do sponge it all out every week or so and get around 0.5 to 1 litre of water.
Why did I get this boat!! ��

Need to get busy
 
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