Help with a stuck sole plate

[lambrettaman]

One of the sole plates on our Compass 47 is really stuck. It is about 4 feet long and runs along the starboard settee. The opposite side has a curved bit that wraps around another settee. In the diagram, the pink arrows show where the sole plate is binding along the curved bit and the opposite side. We tried lifting with some big suction cup mounted handles and used a winch to apply a lot of force to it.

At this point I'm thinking of using a Fein tool type tool to make a thin cut along the straight edge.

Any other ideas?

[slug]

Originally Posted by lambrettaman

One of the sole plates on our Compass 47 is really stuck. It is about 4 feet long and runs along the starboard settee. The opposite side has a curved bit that wraps around another settee. In the diagram, the pink arrows show where the sole plate is binding along the curved bit and the opposite side. We tried lifting with some big suction cup mounted handles and used a winch to apply a lot of force to it.

At this point I'm thinking of using a Fein tool type tool to make a thin cut along the straight edge.

Any other ideas?

Ease your backstay , let the boat relax

Is your boat in the water or on land ?

[Muaddib1116]

It seems like it would be good to be able to access under your floorboards under any condition while at sea, so if it's stuck and inaccessible in a marina or on the hard, it may be prudent to modify it so that you can get under there any time you want.

[lambrettaman]

Originally Posted by slug

Ease your backstay , let the boat relax

Is your boat in the water or on land ?

I like your approach. In fact, we just put her on the hard on Monday.

[lambrettaman]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

It seems like it would be good to be able to access under your floorboards under any condition while at sea, so if it's stuck and inaccessible in a marina or on the hard, it may be prudent to modify it so that you can get under there any time you want.

For sure. Once we get it free we will sand down the edge so that it won't get stuck again.

[slug]

Originally Posted by lambrettaman

I like your approach. In fact, we just put her on the hard on Monday.

Boats are flexible

With gran prix race boats ,when measuring for rating , we would put jack stands under the bow and stern .. then wind them up to lift the keel off the ground and turn the boat into a banana , this would shorten the rated waterline and confuse hull volume measurements

In future don’t work to tight tolerances with certain components

[Suijin]

Try throwing a few bags of ice on it for a few hours to see if it will shrink down a enough to dislodge.

If you have the time, take it somewhere to dry out for a couple of weeks, then make sure that the bottom and sides are sealed to prevent it expanding in future.

[lambrettaman]

Originally Posted by slug

Boats are flexible

In future don’t work to tight tolerances with certain components

Got it. We just bought her in December and are learning about all the interesting things the prior owners did and put up with.

[JPA Cate]

@Lambrettaman,

First off, great choice of boat. There is an archived thread here by cpa, who did a major re-fit on one of those boats.

DON'T do anything to the sole till you're back in the water, and with the back stay eased, if necessary. I'm thinking it won't budge because the boat's sitting on the keel. With the keel hanging down into the water, it may free easily. Many boats change shape when on the hard, and one often hears of cupboard doors not opening or closing properly, but do so upon re-launching.

It isn't a problem, yet, so don't "fix" it just now.

Ann

[lambrettaman]

Here's the end of the story. We pulled the mast this weekend and with the boat on the hard and without the mast and standing rigging squeezing the sides off the hull together, the sole plate lifted right out. We'll be sanding down one edge before we rerig and float her for sure.