Galley and Cockpit Sole Teak Grate

[rnummi]

I'm stepping on a soft spot in the sole, stupid question but here goes..... What's under there? Stringers? Balsa Core? Anyone open them up a take a look? Pictures?

A friend of mine had same thing on a Catalina sailboat and he had teak grating made, looked absolutely fabulous (and distributed weight across the localized soft spot). Has anyone done this?

P.S. All this assumes of course that you've tracked down and repaired the reason for sole delam.

[JT48348]

When you say sole where exactly are you referring to?

The cockpit can have delaminating if you get water intrusion in the aft end near the scupper drains. The "stringers" for the cockpit support are 1/2 tube cardboard glasses in place on the underside.

In the galley the sole is part of the one piece pan liner. I don't think it's supported by much. The pan liner appears to be fiberglass with some plywood reinforcing.

[rnummi]

Yep, soft spot(s) on galley sole 6 inches out from origo center. Say bow to stern direction 12 inches in length. Same deal in cockpit, 12 inches forward of drain semi circular radiating from drain.

[Sprig1]

Hi sounds like some of my problems with the cockpit soft spots. I had to replace the balsa coring on the back 2 feet of the cockpit. I also had to take out the back cabin threshold and jamb and replace under it with cosaboard. Just a hint when you cut it use the finest blade saw you can. One of those vibrating little saws works great. As you lift up the fiberglass cut the back where it is still attached you want destroy the piece. I didn't think of that till later had to lay up all new. I am leaving a lot of steps out. Search my name sprig1 I have the same year boat probably with bigger problems already asked most of your questions. Ask all the questions you want people here are great. Get a full face respirator and where a tyvec suite and gloves you want be sorry. It is nasty work but do able. I still itched for days. Good luck

[rnummi]

Thanks Sprig, I'll do that. I guess my question was, would a teak grate allow me to just leave the soft spots for another day... I'm doing the pilothouse core excavation first. The boat's been on the hard (covered) for 6 years, my first inclination was : First I'll go pressure wash the whole thing... the collective howl that occurred stopped me in my tracks (why would you squirt water into a 6 year dried balsa core before fixing it etc.). So now I have a cleaned out (dry) boat. I see your point though, the drain in the cockpit would continue to leak, teak grate or no teak grate. Guess I'll make that project #2. Thanks for the tyvec tip... my Dad rebuilt an old fiberglass canoe when I was a kid... itched for days.

[Sprig1]

It depends weather it is leaking down bellow. Mine was leaking through. I would stop the leaks and go motoring. My boat was leaking so badly that I just decided to do everything not fun. If it's not leaking put the grate down and have fun.

[rnummi]

Ahhh. That would explain the decayed top drawer aft. Looks like I'm doing the ole sole..o mio. I think I'll try the nail in the holes trick first then replace drain.... Teak grate will be added to cover battle scars. That should get me on the water at least. I figure one piece for deck, one piece for engine hatch.

[Jay Knoll]

I'm not a fan of grates, they collect dirt and are a pain to maintain (although I admit they are very handsome).

Why not drill a bunch of holes (grid pattern) just thru the top of the glass, flood the area with alcohol and try to dry out the core. When dry, inject epoxy to repair the core damage Paint the sole to cover over the repair/ That should hold you until you can get to a more serious repair job

[rnummi]

That's exactly what I plan on doing. Luckily the core is dry from 6 years under a hot metal roof in an RV storage facility. I'm going to drill and pour egis weekend.

[Sprig1]

Just a thought from someone that just did it. Mine didn't leak around the scuppers. The builders of the boat put screws down through the threshold it was leaking there and also coming down the jamb after the caulk failed and under threshold. It's your call it will probably stabilize it what you are proposing and is easy. You will be done in a day then just caulk it up with 4000 uv. I took out threshold and jamb didn't destroy it to badly a bit of epoxy and you will never know I did it when I put it back. The balsa core was like mulch. I cleaned around edges packed it with epoxy put in some cosaboard had to slit it since it slopes up hill to threshold to get the curve. Laid fiberglass cloth in layers to build it up. After writing all that I think your way might be better. Who cares as long as it's strong it's not like these boats are crossing the Atlantic. I will never get the time I invested out of selling it. As I said you will be done in a day. I think my boat is in worse shape then yours. I am in the process of replacing all of the electric 12 v 120v, fresh water plumbing. Holding tanks, water tanks, new head, pilot house Windows rebedded, for and aft cabin ports, thru halls,all hoses, cleaning fuel tank and a lot of other stuff getting tired of typing. Everyone here has helped me a lot. Good luck

[Beta Don]

My galley floor is quite spongy - A huge part if it

My 'plan' two-fold. First, I'm going to try fitting a block or two of wood between the center of the mushy portion of the floor and the hull. Once I get it fitted correctly, I'll epoxy the blocks between the bottom of the floor and the top of the hull. I can reach them through the opening in the bottom of the hanging locker. I think one or two blocks may stiffen the floor enough to get me by without resorting to more drastic measures

The 'back-up' plan would be to cut a piece of 1/4 inch plywood carefully fitted to the flat portion of the floor, seal that with a coat of epoxy and then glue a piece of carpet to the top of that which covers not only the flat portion, but all of the floor. It would be removable for an annual cleaning. We'll see how that goes if the wooden blocks don't work well

Don

[Beta Don]

I am in the process of replacing all of the electric 12 v 120v, fresh water plumbing. Holding tanks, water tanks, new head, pilot house Windows rebedded, for and aft cabin ports, thru halls,all hoses, cleaning fuel tank and a lot of other stuff . . . .

Been there, done ALL of that over the past two years. Also repowered with a 100 HP turbo-intercooled Yanmar, added A/C to both cabins, a diesel genset (in the engine room, starboard side where the holding tank used to be) extended the pilothouse roof aft 8 feet, custom canvas to enclose everything, built a swim platform from scratch, built and installed a ladder from the swim platform to the deck, added a bow thruster . . . . I'm tired of typing too

Don

[Sprig1]

Don you have been an inspiration to me. Thanks for the help

[rnummi]

Yep, right behind you guys. Didn't know you could get to galley sole through hanging locker! What's under there... Just a void? I wonder if the galley sole is just a weak point or there was water intrurusion... I think your idea for the carpet is a mistake though. While I was researching the teak grate I ran into the "faux" teak. Evidently you send them a pattern, they cook up lay down sheets and you just glue it down. I'll bet that keeps the puppy nautical. It also goes over angles (like where the galley deck meets the hill towards the companionway. It didn't look that expensive.

My first thought when seeing the gel coat crack down there was the teak grate idea, that way I could just leave it alone. Now that I've been reading about what you guys have done, I'll follow your lead. I also looked in the head/shower and saw the same drain issues you guys had....

Facetiously speaking "Boy, I can't wait to start digging into my deck"

[rnummi]

Has anyone installed teak or Nu-teak type product on their boat?