Seems my post, didn't post. Well at risk of a duplicate...
Hmmm... maybe while surfing down those nine foot waves.
Ours frequently
sails 7 kt sustained here in the
ICW.
SA/D 18.75 LWL 23.5 42% ballast
Theoretical
hull speed of 6.5 kt
We usually load heavy and reef early but sometimes...
We digress
Hooosierdoc,
Ours leaked when we bought her . Fear not, with a little
work all will be well.
A simple re
bed may do but as you'll already have the
hardware out I suggest Don Casey's
advice. Remove some of the
plywood core (I use a Dremel and a burr bit) and fill the void with
epoxy ( I prefer West System) thickened with colloidal silica re drill.
I've had great success with this method on several boats. Done once.
If the
core is wet you'll need to dry it out first. Remove the hardware and cover with a tarp leaving room for air.
The
epoxy will prevent future damage to the core and eliminate potential core softness at the fastener. Allowing proper tightening and a good seal.
I used to rebed with
rope caulk without issue but have switched to butyl tape
(marketed as rv putty tape at ace hardware). The butyl will supposedly outlast the
rope caulk.
The chain plates can be temporarily sealed with a slathering of silicone. To re
bed you need to drill out the rivets in the cap. A good time to remove, clean, inspect the plates and perhaps some shiny new nylocs. You need a stout rivet gun to reinstall.
On our 26 we cut three additional access hatches in the
cabin. One in the nose for the
chain plate and bow eye nuts. Two in the aft berth for
bimini track and
lifelines. These compartments contain foam blocks that can be removed and reinstalled.
Don Casey did a fixer upper series that is super duper helpful.
My copies of "Sailboat
Hull and
Deck Repair" and "Sailboat Refinishing"
are currently out on loan.
Best Regards,
Ed W