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Old 19-09-2021, 19:17   #16
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

Before you do anything rash, take an ice pick and see if you can make it penetrate where the wood is darkest. If you meet strong resistance, you have less of a problem than I at first thought. If it goes clear through, you'll need to replace the bulkhead.

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Old 19-09-2021, 20:51   #17
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

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Originally Posted by JPA Cate View Post
Before you do anything rash, take an ice pick and see if you can make it penetrate where the wood is darkest. If you meet strong resistance, you have less of a problem than I at first thought. If it goes clear through, you'll need to replace the bulkhead.

Ann
Hi Ann,

Thanks for the advise. I did check the wood with a ice pick and sounded it with a hammer. As mentioned earlier, I do have rotted wood but it is a very small area (see photo 6”x3”) in the lower part of the bulkhead where the water ponded on the fiberglass liner support for the seat cushion. This area is very small and isn’t near the edge of the bulkhead at any structural contact, in fact there is a piece of insulation that is used as a spacer between the bulkhead and the fiberglass (probably to eliminate direct contact and reduce noise).

IMHO, I think replacing the bulkhead (roughly 6’x3’)) for a 6”x3” hole in the middle well away from the chain plate or any structural contact would be overkill.
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Old 28-09-2021, 04:31   #18
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

Is this really a partition rather than a bulkhead, seeing how it is not tabbed to the hull?
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Old 28-09-2021, 05:49   #19
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

Good morning Spot,

I think you are correct in calling this more a partition than a bulkhead. The chain plate is connected to it at the top and that is probably the primary if not the only contact with the hull/deck. It’s not connected anywhere at its base and doesn’t appear to be tabbed to the hull or liner until maybe near the top.

There is a lot of fiberglass and appears to be well reinforced at the top and since this is a 1987 boat with no stress cracks anywhere near where the chain plate comes through the deck, I would have to say the design worked. BTW, this boat was made by Catalina quite a number of years prior to 1987 with no obvious problems or design changes.
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Old 28-09-2021, 05:55   #20
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

BTW, I made the repair with a piece of teak (not teak plywood) milled to 1/2” and fitted in the damaged area. I trimmed it with mitered molding versus using the 2 part polyurethane. It’s a much cleaner repair and if I had used the 2 part, I would have to go over that with teak veneer for cosmetics.
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Old 28-09-2021, 08:44   #21
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

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Is this really a partition rather than a bulkhead, seeing how it is not tabbed to the hull?
It is structural, flimsy for sure but chain plates attach to it.
https://www.google.com/search?q=bulk...&client=safari
Being an attachment point for a very important part of your standing rigging, your chain plates, it should be full length, and attached at all points it's supposed to be.
Under the locker cover plate in the picture there should be attachment bolts screws bolting the bottom section of the wall to the inner liner, the screw heads are pictured there, those thru bolts attach to the liner, the slotted head ones.
Those are the main attachment to the liner.
This is where a lot of them rot out.
Mainly because the deck seal around the chain plate let go, and was not sealed up again right away.

There should be a cover plate upon the upper deck that Captivates the chain plate top with screws, as well acts as a trim plate for the chain plate where it protrudes thru the deck.

In my opinion, a load dispersing plate should be attached to the wall, then the chain plate attached to it, thru bolted.
Keep these areas sealed up, cause there is not much holding your standing rigging mains in place.
Those plates the way there attached to the wall, tend to want to pull the bulkhead out of the boat.
It is why they need to be in great shape and screwed in securely.
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Old 28-09-2021, 11:02   #22
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

Boatyarddog,
Thanks for the explanation. So it's a mechanically fastened bulkhead rather than a partition (using the definition of partition being a non-load bearing 'wall').

Interesting video on YouTube showing the other side bulkhead being removed on a Catalina 25, another victim of a leaky chain plate. 12 minutes, it gets good around the 6:40 mark.

https://youtu.be/diKqhAZ-61Y

Myself, with a flush deck and teeny side mounted chain plates, I do not have this problem...just all the other ones associated with a neglected owner-finished boat.
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Old 28-09-2021, 11:11   #23
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

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Boatyarddog,
Thanks for the explanation. So it's a mechanically fastened bulkhead rather than a partition (using the definition of partition being a non-load bearing 'wall').

Interesting video on YouTube showing the other side bulkhead being removed on a Catalina 25, another victim of a leaky chain plate. 12 minutes, it gets good around the 6:40 mark.

https://youtu.be/diKqhAZ-61Y

Myself, with a flush deck and teeny side mounted chain plates, I do not have this problem...just all the other ones associated with a neglected owner-finished boat.

Good video!
They are usually like that if bad at all.
Personally I'd use teak faced marine ply.
Expensive, at $300usd a 4x8' sheet but looks right when installed

Yeah, by definition a " bulkhead" but not the watertight one most are used to calling a bulkhead, or compression bulkhead as some are used as such.
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Old 28-09-2021, 15:33   #24
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

[QUOTE=Boatyarddog;3491710]It is structural, flimsy for sure but chain plates attach to it.

"Under the locker cover plate in the picture there should be attachment bolts screws bolting the bottom section of the wall to the inner liner, the screw heads are pictured there, those thru bolts attach to the liner, the slotted head ones."

The bulkhead doesn't extend below the surface of the locker. The two small stainless wood screws (visible in the picture) at the bottom of the bulkhead screw into the liner in the head. I can't imagine those screws are providing much structural integrity. I agree, it seems "flimsy" but has worked on hundreds of these boats.

I also think the 1/2" plywood typically used in these boats are under designed but I'm no boat designer
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Old 28-09-2021, 16:33   #25
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Re: Catalina 25 bulkhead rot

[QUOTE=Boatyarddog;3491859]Good video!
They are usually like that if bad at all.
Personally I'd use teak faced marine ply.
Expensive, at $300usd a 4x8' sheet but looks right when installed"

Yeah, (with the amount of work involved), I think $300 is a very reasonable price to pay for having the job done right and looking good. Also, I'm sure the 1/2" marine plywood wasn't free so you could deduct that from the cost of the teak plywood.

I suppose you could go back and retrofit the marine plywood with Teak veneer but I don't know if it would stay attached even if you used waterproof Titebond.
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