V-berth makeover Part I

V-berth makeover Part I

Postby Troppo » Sun May 27, 2012 9:30 pm

I'm starting the refurb of Windchaser by tackling the v-berth. For a newbie like me, even that little area is a bit overwhelming as I see heaps to do but I am gunna do just a bit at a time and sooner or later the v-berth will be done : ).

Oh, I do have some questions right at the end of this post so please check 'em out.

Here's the end I started with. I just planned a little bogging up holes and sanding then painting.
Image

After discovering the hidden cupboard in the very front of the v-berth and finding out from this forum that it is the original sail locker, I checked it out closely. With my head in the locker and looking back and up, I could see that the original fibreglass had been cut away and replaced with ply. However, the ply had not been sealed and it did not look like it had been glued into place.

Image

From the other side, that is, from the v-berth, I could see the join between the ply piece and the boat was made from a strip of fibreglass covered with resin. At the bottom where it comes down to the top of the cupboards, it was coming adrift. Did not seem robust.

After pondering long and hard, I thought the only thing holding the ply on was the little strip of fibreglass tape. Rather than just patch up what was there, I decided to see just how well the bit of ply had been attached.

I put my anxiety aside and tapped a chisel against the fibreglass tape where I thought it would be hollow behind. The chisel didn't go through at first so I moved the point a little and bingo. The fibreglass was not very strong at all.

Image

Didn't take too long and my anxiety turned to satisfaction.

Image

Now that the old piece is totally out, I can work on redoing . . . something or other to replace it.

Image

I also had to remove the piece of ply inserted below the opening going to the bottom of the hull. Again, it was not sealed and being lower down and with more moisture, the ply was moldy and had come apart.

So, I am happy that I got that old piece off so I can improve, hopefully, that section but I am aghast at ripping such a big piece out of poor old Windchaser. What to do to improve it is the next challenge.

Questions:

Are these sections meant to be load bearing? The ply I pulled out would not have carried much load but certainly more than what is there now, which is nothing.

Do I need to put in load-bearing pieces, one below the v-berth floor (a triangular piece) and one over the storage access hole?

That piece below the floor stopped any water that came in via leaks in the bow area from going further down. Should there be a drain hole so water can flow all the way down to the bilge?

So, what do ya reckon?
Troppo
 
Posts: 844
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:08 pm
Location: Rockhampton

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby storm petrel » Sun May 27, 2012 9:55 pm

Others may have a better knowledge but my understanding is that this glass covered ply forward bulkhead does add structural strength and you should replace it. Storm Petrel is a Mk11 - It has a small 'dam' in front of this bulkhead as well. I have never bothered feeding it through to the bilge because I only get a little water in there when I have been in a serious seaway for some time. I just sponge it out when I get back to port, if required.

This bulkhead is heavily glassed over ply on my boat with a hole cut to access the forward sail locker.
User avatar
storm petrel
 
Posts: 1057
Images: 10
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:07 pm

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby Troppo » Mon May 28, 2012 10:01 am

Thanks Mark. I was thinking of having a more open feel to that section but making it strong might be the better option. It certainly was not strong the way it was, tacked on with a bit of glass tape and resin.
Troppo
 
Posts: 844
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:08 pm
Location: Rockhampton

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby Miker » Mon May 28, 2012 12:20 pm

Sorry I don't have a photo, but my "race plan" mark III has an open v-berth. Where yours was a solid (ish) wall, mine has a shelf about 20 cm under the ceiling of the v-berth that holds a couple of life jackets, but you can see all the way to the forward peak under the anchor locker. The shelf has a back, like a half bulkhead, that comes down about 30cm.

So what you could do is make a similar shelf, which would give the rigidity below the deck providing its glassed in place correctly, but still give an open feeling in the v-berth. Mine is really open, I don't even have the lockers that run along the side, just bare hulls.
Michael
"Dulcamara" - MKIII
Careel Bay, Pittwater
"Order of the Tipping Dinghy" 2017
Miker
 
Posts: 845
Images: 6
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:15 pm
Location: Pittwater NSW

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby Troppo » Mon May 28, 2012 12:38 pm

Michael, does the half bulkhead cover the area like this?

bulkhead01.jpg
Approx area I think Michael's half bulkhead covers.
bulkhead01.jpg (255.63 KiB) Viewed 4737 times
Troppo
 
Posts: 844
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:08 pm
Location: Rockhampton

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby Troppo » Mon May 28, 2012 12:57 pm

See the cardboard? This pic is behind the old bulkhead showing how the end of the storage cupboard was finished off. Is that original TH construction cardboard or what?
Attachments
bulkhead02.jpg
bulkhead02.jpg (274.34 KiB) Viewed 4733 times
Troppo
 
Posts: 844
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2012 9:08 pm
Location: Rockhampton

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby Miker » Mon May 28, 2012 2:19 pm

Troppo, yep, that's about what I was trying to describe.

I also put the iPad up ther to watch movies when we go to bed.

Love the cardboard. I doubt this was standard equipment though........
Michael
"Dulcamara" - MKIII
Careel Bay, Pittwater
"Order of the Tipping Dinghy" 2017
Miker
 
Posts: 845
Images: 6
Joined: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:15 pm
Location: Pittwater NSW

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby storm petrel » Mon May 28, 2012 6:32 pm

Troppo,

My MkII is also the racing version with the head between the V-berth. I have always thought of the forward bulkhead as a bit of a collision bulkhead that would slow the ingress of water into the boat if the bow was 'holed'. I think if you are going to use your boat at sea you should keep the bulkhead for this reason and for added strength when falling off waves. One of the faults of the Top Hat as a sea boat is that they not have stringers to strengthen the hull so any extra support is worth keeping. Be interested to hear what others think.

Cheers,
Mark
Storm Petrel
User avatar
storm petrel
 
Posts: 1057
Images: 10
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 6:07 pm

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby bearmcnally » Mon May 28, 2012 7:35 pm

Hi Troppo,

That Bulkhead is called the forepeak Bulkhead , and in certain yachts it is structural .In the Top Hat design it was a structural member in the timber MK 0 .In the fibreglass versions it was installed as a storage bulkhead ,anchor ,sails etc.Looking at your forepeak I don't think it any structural integrity at all ? I would be inclined to cut a couple of plywood nibs in ,and glass them onto the hull and then into the existing furniture,If the furniture is glassed in properly it should become a structural member if you are worried about hull flex ?

Stringers aren't required as the Top Hat hasn't got the beam or the free board that would require them .
I guess the anchor locker also gives the deck section strength as is a" box section "in design and again if glassed in correctly should add support to the deck and stop flexing if you have that problem ?,probably one good thing about a anchor locker ?

Now, I did see a Mk 3 racing on Middle Harbour maybe 10 plus years ago, and all she had inside was a floor and a main bulkhead and that was it ? Bloody quick !!

Cheers Bear
MK 1's Beautiful :D
User avatar
bearmcnally
 
Posts: 632
Images: 27
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:24 am

Re: V-berth makeover Part I

Postby Aaron » Mon May 28, 2012 7:38 pm

G'day guys,
My V-berth is a mess. The cabin top has been painted many times and its peeling off, my locker up the front, the plywood is roten. Im very interested to see what becomes of this topic and peoples ideas for the front end. Ive been doing lots of research on google looking for ideas for the Dawn, but at the moment the bow is a mess as it if full of tools and other things because im working on the back end, but when the back is done ill work on the front. Soon ill post some pregress photos.
So far this is the idea for the dawns V-berth
http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-s ... R=12558157 its photo number 6

Cheers,
Dawn Breaker
Dawn Breaker, Lane Cove River.
Aaron
 
Posts: 115
Images: 2
Joined: Mon May 09, 2011 2:05 pm
Location: Sydney, Lane cove river

Next

Return to Maintenance / Gear

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 205 guests

cron

x