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.
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.
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.
Didn't take too long and my anxiety turned to satisfaction.
Now that the old piece is totally out, I can work on redoing . . . something or other to replace it.
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?