Hello all:
It appears that I have not been spending enough time aboard in the rain.
The floor boards near the mast and outside the head began to look shabby so I removed them to refinish them. Found that the ones around the mast were severly delaminated due to water exposure. But, that is not the worst part.
Closer ispection of the surrounding area found that the plywood which forms the inboard side of the head enclosure have been wet too. Dry rot has impacted them as well. The bottom inch or so of these panels is largely gone due to the rot. Since there is a teak venere on these bulkheads it was the last to be degraded while the interior (presumably not teak) of the plywood rotted away. I don’t believe that this is a structural problem since there is also solid teak in support of the cabin top which is itself a very strong structure.
I’ll be aboard in the next rain storm to try to trace the source(s) of the water which I believe is probably coming through the partners and can be stopped with proper sealant. The mast has not been down for five years.
The damage below the main entrance (hatch?) to the head may also be related to the way the interior grid which forms the head and floor supports was built. The head sole (fiberglass) turns down to become the supports for the floor boards. On the port side of the head buldhead there is a piece of solid teak where the head sole ends. The plywood bulkhead through which the head entrance hatch is located is attached to this teak. At the place where the head sole ends and the solid teak begins there was flexible caulking used which had failed and this may also have provided the water path that rotted that portion of the plywood bulkhead.
I’ll recaulk the head to bulkhead juncture. I’m thinking that I’ll be able to cut the bottom of the plywood bulkheads out and replace them with solid teak to provide a cosmetic fix to this after I control the water intrusion.
I’d appreciate anyones comments or suggestions as to how to proceed. Pictures of the bulkheads are attached.
I had similar problem when I purchase my 1986 Freedom 36 Hull #23 in 2001. See attached photos before and after. What I did was remove as little rot as necessary or possible and then coated the remaning rotted structure with West epoxy, sanded and vanished the bulkhead and installed a piece of teak high enough to act as a baseboard to cover the affected area. Bildge etc. was cleaned and painted in preparation for mast installation. Still holding up after 10+ years. Of course new teak and holly cabin sole installed throughout. Notice the drain hole in the mast step. When the mast was removed a bucket + of dirty water poured out of the bottom of the mast over the yard workers feet. I suspect the water was coming down the mast and exiting out the cable exit in the mast.
I own an F30 and had the exact same problem and handled it about the same as described by Rich Fontaine.
I have stayed aboard the boat during heavy rain and found rainwater was enters the mast through the halyard openings. It pools at the step and, if there is any obstruction in drainage to the bilge you’ll have rot in that area. I cut out the bad wood which was fortunately low down, sistered some solid teak in there with epoxy then cut a teak baseboard matching the rest of the boat molding. Worked out pretty well and solid as a rock.
I had some additional rot higher up which had not compromised the teak veneer. In those cases I drilled a bunch of partial holes from inside the under sink cabinet and filled the holes with epoxy until the holes would take no more. The rotten sponge sucked up a lot of epoxy and the bulkhead has been solid for 10 years now. So I guess I have a sort of “epoxy/sponge wood” laminate in there now. Hey, whatever works.
I found the same problem on every F35 I looked at, even the one I bought. The rain comes down the mast and collects. The bung holes thru the bulkhead to the bilge aren’t sealed. Paul Dennis was doing some work on the boat that first winter. He cut out the rotted wood under the floor boards, repaired it with X-10 and it works great. Just a factory oversight.
Same exact problem on my Hoyt 32 and the same exact solution. I dug the rotted wood out of the bottom inch or two of the bulkhead, slathered everything with rot killer then epoxyed in some new wood. I had to replace a floor frame, too. Afterward, I covered the repair on the bottom of the bulkhead with a piece of teak that looks like baseboard. If this piece is nicely fitted it will look intentional, not “repaired looking” at all.
Carefully inspect the plywood of the lift-up cabin sole pieces that are in that area, too. The moisture might have gotten into the edges of those as well. I had to rot kill and epoxy the last inch or so on most of mine.
I also have a small amount of water accumulating under the mast but to be honest, after having seen the damage crevice corrosion can do to the keel bolts unnoticed, I have become very paranoid about any water in my bilges. Fresh or salt. I keep my bilges dry at all times. I inspect the area under the fore floorboards at least every month and wring out any accumulated water. I’ve tried routing it to shower sump tank via capillary tube but to no avail. when I purchased my 1986 F36 two years back i found some water in the bilges and it has taken me a while to find out the sources which I have identified and stopped. My bilges are dry for last 18 months.i still have a small leak from water heater hoses coming from the engine to the heater under the sink but i have arrested it with a small can and drain hose so bilges are kept dry. I cannot imagine not being on my bot for more than a month, and if i am traveling overseas for work occasionally a friend checks the boat on at least a monthly basis. the damage I’ve seen on these photos is not from a short period of neglect. this must have been over a period of years…
