Here We Go Again

[BigMike8o9]

Hey Strick, I have several books on boat repairs and none are as good as your post are.
Finally going to start my new transom and braket for my 23 WA.
Any drawings still arround from yours. It would sure save me from making a more yard art.
BigMike

[strick]

Thanks for the kind words fellas. I'm taking a little time off from the project to do a little fishing/R&R. The weather here sucks right now for fiberglass work and since I dont even have a garage I cant get out of the elements which has me less then motivated right now. Big Mike- sorry no drawings but it's relativley simple once you think it out. PM me and I will measure my bracket and give you the dimensions.

Strick

[BigMike8o9]

Any need to put a small bilge pump in the bracket?
I guess my question is more,is there a reason not to?
If I would put a small breather through the hull so that I don'y build up to much pressure in the 115o heat of the Mojave blow the seem in the swimstep/bracket.
It would make sence to me to put like a 500 gph or smaller in the bracket.
Sorry if that's a dumb question. But I am the inventer of Murphy's law.

[VirginIslander]

Any need to put a small bilge pump in the bracket?
I guess my question is more,is there a reason not to?
If I would put a small breather through the hull so that I don'y build up to much pressure in the 115o heat of the Mojave blow the seem in the swimstep/bracket.
It would make sence to me to put like a 500 gph or smaller in the bracket.
Sorry if that's a dumb question. But I am the inventer of Murphy's law.

If you put a pump in there, you'll have a convenient place for it to flood by. .... plus the pain in the neck of running power to it.

Why not just use a clear deck inspection cover? .... They seal well and you can always look in to see if some how something's gone south.


Darlene

[BigMike8o9]

I was going to pump it into the main hull. Through a gromet as was the power.That would be enough of an air leak to keep from blowing a seam. The reason I don't like out board hatch is because of the time I sunk one side of my catamaran. Something broke the port hull inspection plate and I was sideways before I found out.
By the way it was impossible for something to break that plate and it could never happen...LOL
BigMike

[warthog5]

I see this recommended on place's like Fl. Sportsman & THT.

It's a dumb idea. If the dang thing leak's FIX it. Don't put a band-aid on it.

Why not just use a clear deck inspection cover? .... They seal well and you can always look in to see if some how something's gone south.

Use a Armstrong hatch. Easy to get off and they don't leak.

[strick]

I dont see any reason to put a pump in there. Even if they fill with water the boat will still float. They all get condensation built up and that is unavoidable. I let mine air out from time to time by pulling the armstrong hatches.





strick

[VirginIslander]

I was going to pump it into the main hull. Through a gromet as was the power. That would be enough of an air leak to keep from blowing a seam. The reason I don't like out board hatch is because of the time I sunk one side of my catamaran. Something broke the port hull inspection plate and I was sideways before I found out.
By the way it was impossible for something to break that plate and it could never happen...LOL
BigMike

I think you're finding an issue where none exists.

The increase in pressure from expansion of the air in a bracket from sitting in the sun just isn't that much.

As a corrallary, if you trailer a boat up to a high mountain lake, then the lower atmospheric pressure at altitude has the same net result as doubling the internal pressure where you started from.

You'll have to jet leaner, but nothing blows from the pressure differential.



Darlene

[BigMike8o9]

All good points except it not blowing the seam. At lev. of almost 5,000ft and a diference of sometimes more then 50o and the area of the top of the bracket.
I decided that if I forget to leave the plug in on the wrong day I would regret it. So I am going back to aluminum which is much easier to work with for me anyhow. No pump and I will make my own hatch.
I know some of you guys don't like metal and they don't look as nice and are hard to coat, but it would be easier for me make. A one weekend job at most.

[strick]

Been a while. Cold weather and no shop to work in has set the project back a bit. Anyhow here is what litle progress I've made. I took the easy way out on fixing the deck cap. while it was flipped over I ran 3 layers of 1708 over the seam.



It's solid and I should not have any issues with it. I'll laminate over the top of it after I install the anchor locker bulkhead and re-attach the cap to the hull.

Next I flipped the cap back over and cut out an access hatch for the anchor locker. It is more symmetrical then the pic shows. It also gives me access to glassing the buklhead in place.



I did a little grinding and fitting and then bonded the cap supports to the sides of the hull.



If you notice I made tops of the cap supports so they slope downward toward the hull cap joint so water runs off the cap easily.



Making the anchor locker bulkhead turned out to be a bit of a mess. In this pic you can see the white Melamine (sp?) board that I used as a flat mold/template for proper shape.




Even though the melamine was waxed the resin never really cured despite a 48 hour wait before removing the part. I attribute that to the cold temps out side. There is 2 layers of heavy matt and two layers of 1708 on either side. The core is 5/8" foam board. I put some plastic on the top and squished it all down.



I had to gring away all the fibers once it finally cured.



Getting tabbed into place



I had to center the cap and check my measurements so it will all be strait.



View from inside the anchor locker



Were I sit now




strick