Southerly 115 - heads up...

[Javelin]

I've recently fixed a Southerly that was t-boned whilst on her mooring, (see Dec edition PBO)
She is in very good condition and below is spotless.
Anyway i was just finishing off a few outstanding jobs on her before we took her out of the shed and whilst looking in the bilge below the saloon table I spotted what looked like a bit of soft wood.

To cut a long story short, all the sheaved plywood below the saloon raised area is rotten and it appears it has been for some time.
All the sections of plywood. though partially sheathed, touch each other which has led to the main chain plate bulkhead suffering the same fate.
The plywood inside the chainplate knee had turned to dust, the bolt holes in the backing plate which was made of aluminium, have elongated and I estimate the chain plate must of raised by at least 15mm.
Tomorrow I'll get the water tank out and check out the aft knee which is also sounding hollow and the transverse bulkhead under the galley.

I was very surprised to find this state of affairs in what otherwise is an immaculate example of this boat.

If you have a similar boat I urge you to check under the saloon floor and check as it appears that as all these sections of plywood touch, if any get wet, they will all be effected.
The grp tabbing they use is at least 4 inches high which is good in one way as it protects from water in the bilge but bad if the water does get in somehow the tabbing acts like a bucket holding the water in.

On the off chance has anyone taken the water tank out of one of these before?
Just wondering what joy I'm in for in the morning...........

 

[Heckler]

I've recently fixed a Southerly that was t-boned whilst on her mooring, (see Dec edition PBO)
She is in very good condition and below is spotless.
Anyway i was just finishing off a few outstanding jobs on her before we took her out of the shed and whilst looking in the bilge below the saloon table I spotted what looked like a bit of soft wood.

To cut a long story short, all the sheaved plywood below the saloon raised area is rotten and it appears it has been for some time.
All the sections of plywood. though partially sheathed, touch each other which has led to the main chain plate bulkhead suffering the same fate.
The plywood inside the chainplate knee had turned to dust, the bolt holes in the backing plate which was made of aluminium, have elongated and I estimate the chain plate must of raised by at least 15mm.
Tomorrow I'll get the water tank out and check out the aft knee which is also sounding hollow and the transverse bulkhead under the galley.

I was very surprised to find this state of affairs in what otherwise is an immaculate example of this boat.

If you have a similar boat I urge you to check under the saloon floor and check as it appears that as all these sections of plywood touch, if any get wet, they will all be effected.
The grp tabbing they use is at least 4 inches high which is good in one way as it protects from water in the bilge but bad if the water does get in somehow the tabbing acts like a bucket holding the water in.

On the off chance has anyone taken the water tank out of one of these before?
Just wondering what joy I'm in for in the morning...........

Before we left Pwllheli a few years ago there were two Southerlys, fairly new. Another forumite said to me, have a look at the gel coat around the chain plates on the deck, there was star crazing there. Something wasnt right in boats so new.
Stu

 

[Champagne Murphy]

Crikey. Sounds really drastic. Could it be a write off?

 

[Javelin]

Nope, I'll have this one better than new in a few days.

 

[Wansworth]

Knew a bloke ,years ago,who worked for Northshore,he helped fit out the interiors.He k ew nothing about boats and the sea but was ace at covering up bodges with fancy woodwork

 

[Javelin]

Here are a few shots to accompany my earlier post.
The interior generally is in very good condition but if you look closely in the access hole there's a tell tail mark on the gel washed bulkhead below.

This same give away mark appeared on the fore and aft bulkheads when looking into the void.

After a little bit of digging it was plain to see that the plywood was sodden. With I might add no obvious cause.

I decided to drill a test hole in the main cap shroud knee just to check that rot had not spread.
All I could feel was dust so I cut a section of the glass away from one side revealing the internal of the chain plate knee.

To check the Aft Lower shroud knee and the aft bulkheads I had to remove the large water tank that was no mean feat as I don't think the builders spent much time thinking about how this was going to be carried out in future.

Anyway with the help of MatRiches, of this parish (East coat forum) we managed to get the bloody thing out without destroying the boat.

Thankfully the aft bulkhead under the galley seems absolutely fine so at least we'd discovered the limit of the rot.
However I cut a section out of the Aft knee which as can be seen was totally rotten.

To highlight what could have been, just look at the chain plate backing plates.
They are made of aluminium and the holes have elongated due to rig tension and the bolts moving in the knee.
It didn't help that the builders had used Machine screws rather than shouldered bolts but even so I don't think it would have been long before this rig would have been over the side or at the very least had caused a big issue on the side deck.

 

[Talulah]

Thanks for posting. Very interesting. Perhaps you could post pics of the repairs?

 

[Javelin]

With any luck the repair will be in PBO in possibly the Feb or March issue.

 

[NormanB]

Aluminium is a poor choice for chainplate.

 

[matthewriches]

Having witnessed this first hand today, and with my fairly limited experience in sailing boats, the issues looked very severe and could really have resulted in a catastrophic failure in the very near future.

The tank was a delightful turd to remove. We will need to TIG a new water outlet on the side of the tank where there is loads of room, instead of its current position which is a little daft to say the least!

Fun times

 

[Javelin]

Aluminium is a poor choice for chainplate.

The chain plate is 316 stainless.
The backing plates are aluminium. :ambivalence:
The chain plate bolts are 316 but with a full thread. :disgust:

Yes the position of the outlet on the water tank is just plain daft.
If and when the cheap plastic outlet pipe failed its a major job to replace it.
So yes, we'll be strongly recommending the customer to let us modify it.

 

[Champagne Murphy]

The chain plate is 316 stainless.
The backing plates are aluminium. :ambivalence:
The chain plate bolts are 316 but with a full thread. :disgust:

Yes the position of the outlet on the water tank is just plain daft.
If and when the cheap plastic outlet pipe failed its a major job to replace it.
So yes, we'll be strongly recommending the customer to let us modify it.

I do hope the customer is grateful to you (while being suitably fed up with Southerly)

 

[Wansworth]

How much of the problem is down to the spec by the naval architect or is it the result ofbodging and cost cutting by the builders? We

 

[bigwow]

How do you manage to cut fibreglass, inside the boat, without everything within 20 feet being covered with dust?

 

[PaulRainbow]

How do you manage to cut fibreglass, inside the boat, without everything within 20 feet being covered with dust?

I'm guessing a multi-tool.

 

[MikeBz]

Jeepers. These aren't exactly budget-priced boats - the secondhand market might move that way a bit now though!

 

[Moonbeam]

I'm guessing a multi-tool.

With a hoover going close while the cut takes place (works for me)

 

[Javelin]

Probably the most useful tools we have at the yard.
Don't leave home without one....

And when keying up for the repair using 40 grit paper on an orbital sander we use these portable dust extractors, which run a close second to the multitool.

 

[bigwow]

Looks like it's time to bin my grinderette and diamond disc then.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Looks like it's time to bin my grinderette and diamond disc then.

With a metal cutting blade my multi tool cuts through brass/bronze skin fittings as if they were made of cheese. The wood blade will nick a corner out of a piece of 2x2, cut a neat slot in a sheet of ply or just cut a sheet up as quick as a 9" circular saw. Get a scraper blade for...erm...scraping, good for removing Treadmaster. I've also got a small sanding head.

Edit :

Whilst on the subject of new toys, i recently purchased one of these :https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ACDELCO-...522938?hash=item43f08c1c3a:g:TicAAOSwirBZ5M5p

Comes with two batteries, which is good as they don't last long, keep the other battery on charge as you work. Makes light of polishing the fiddly corners that you just can't get the big polisher in. Also an excellent little sander. A very well made tool.