Rebuilding the Mast Step

October 28, 2018

With a good portion of the coach roof cut open and the bad core material removed, I decided to begin prepping for the new balsa core installation by sanding the bottom skin of fiberglass.  While I had the small belt sander out, a tool to get into tight spaces, I went in after the repair of the coach roof structure that will be the foundation of the mast step.  

I smoothed and blended out the rough and raised areas.  The mast support beam's center pocket was filled with a resin of sorts and had contained a glassed in block of foam, which when I first cut it out was wet and mushy - losing all of its compressive strength.  I sanded surfaces of the mast support all the way across, including the outboard pockets that allowed the tops of the bulkheads to rest within the mast support.  I am still a bit confused with this technique, and will alter the design a bit to create a much stronger mast support beam.

But today my focus was on building a firm base and support for the future mast step.  I first needed to fill this cavity with  material that could not break down over time, or be compromised in any way with water ingress.  The mast step (hardware) will be secured in this location with fasteners; and of course, I will drill, fill with epoxy, and then tap for fasteners in any area that has core material.  I laid out the materials I wanted to use to fill the cavity:  1708 oz biaxial fiberglass and G-10 fiberglass board.  I had some leftover cloth and G-10 sitting around the shop, so I opted to use these materials.  After taking measurements from the coach roof, I cut the materials to size.

I first vacuumed and thoroughly wiped down the surfaces that I was about to work within, removing any debris and potential contaminates.  I then mixed a small batch of epoxy thickened with 406 colloidal silica and 407 low-density fillers.  I applied this product in order to fill in small pockets and voids, and generally to provide a good base from which to further build upon.

I then wet out a length of 1708 cloth, and laid it onto the thickened epoxy mixture.

Next, I wet out the surfaces of one of the G-10 boards, and placed it into the cavity.  With a small stir stick, I applied thickened epoxy into the small voids around the perimeter of the G-10 board, as well as a thin application across the top surface.  I then repeated theses steps with the second G-10 board.

With the remains thickened epoxy, I spread a thin layer across the top of the G-10 boards, as well as filling small voids to the outboard ends of the center cavity.

The final application was two layers of 1708 cloth, pressed firmly into place.

I applied a layer of peel ply to the repair area, which will allow me to get straight into further epoxy work without the need to water-wash the surface to remove amine blush and sanding to create a rough surface for a good mechanical bond.  The application of peel ply prevents amine blush from forming and leaves a textured surface that offers good mechanical bond characteristics.    

Total Time Today: 3 hrs

Deconstruction, Final (Part 3)

October 27, 2018

The deconstruction phase is rapidly drawing to a close, and what lay behind it is vastly more exciting and rewarding - rebuilding, improving, and realizing the beauty of the lines of a classic sailboat.  I used my time today to address the areas still requiring attention, and as a result I was bouncing around the boat hitting the odds and ends.

My first target was removal of the old ice box.  At the request of the owner, the old ice box had to go. The ice box really held no purpose given the many variations of portable coolers one can transport on and off the boat.  The space revealed, by removal of said ice box, would surely be used in the most efficient of ways.  I began by removing the outer lip of the ice box, providing me with a better idea and visual on how the construction of the ice box engaged the cockpit well.

With the outer lip removed, I started making strategic cuts in the ice box to essentially fold the box in on itself.  This strategy took three to four different cuts, as well as a follow up trimming here and there, but the ice box did succumb to my charm and finally relented.  I used an oscillating tool with a carbide tipped blade throughout the removal.

With the ice box removed, I suddenly had a lot more volume to work within...or contort my body within as I sanded the interior (misery to come next week).

Surprisingly, the removal of the ice box yielded a fairly stout pile of debris.  In the picture below, the void in the lower left is the old top-entry to the ice box.  I will be closing this area up, using a sandwich construction of fiberglass and core material - in this case, the core material will be balsa.

Next, I moved on to removing the deck drain through-hulls.  Because the decks slope inboard from the rails, the Allied Greenwich 24s were constructed with two deck drains to port and two to starboard.  Water collecting on the deck, wether rain or from taking water over the rail, would drain through these through-hulls to plumbing taking the water to the bilge.  A bilge pump would then send the water out of the boat.

The process of removal included securing a pair of vice grips on the backing nut from below, and then using a through-hull step wrench to unwind the hardware.  I began on the port side, removed and stored the through-hulls in the coaming boxes to keep track of them.

With the port deck through-hulls removed, I then flipped over to the starboard side.

The through-hulls all came out without issue.  I will be reassembling the deck through-hulls in the rebuild phase, but will likely create a better path for the water to find its way out of the boat.

With the deck through-hulls removed, I went below to finish removing the various trim pieces.  The trim requiring removal were the port and starboard settee fiddles, the shelf faces, and a few other odds and ends.  I collected the various components of the cabin trim and carried them over to the workshop for safe keeping...and future work.

I jumped up to the bow of the boat next.  I placed vice grips on all of the backing nuts for the stem fitting (forestay), and proceeded to remove the bolts securing the forward chainplate.  All four of the bolts snapped off in the attempted removal.  I applied a socket wrench to each of the bolts...snapping each in the process of attempting to back out the bolt.  The backing plate, a strip of fiberglass was easily pried off of the interior of the bow.  For reinstallation, I will build up the area with thickened epoxy and 1708oz cloth to allow a flat surface for mounting of a new backing plate. 

With the backing plate removed and the forestay/chainplate, I moved back outside to focus on removal of the two through-hulls serving as water in and grey water out for the head.  The previous owner had removed the installed head, and had then opted for a portable head - a better choice for a weekender boat of this size.  I applied through-hull step wrench to the hardware, and also applied a locking vice grip to the backing nut on the interior, and then tapped the wrench with a hammer to loosen the hold.  

she eventually relented, and I removed the through-hull.

I repeated the process for the starboard side of the boat - the head discharge.  I will glass these holes in a future work session, thereby removing two potential points of water ingress.  The owner's plan for the boat is to be a weekender, not a voyager, and so a portable head will provide the necessary facilities for the boat.

I then turned my attention to removing questionable core from the boat.  With a significant

amount of balsa en route to the shop, I wanted to reveal as many of the areas that required core work...as possible.  I began in the aft deck, and pretty much guaranteed myself a wet core upon removal of the topskin around the aft deck cleats.

As imagined, the port core was wet and deteriorating.  I cleaned out, re-cut topskin, and then cleaned out again the bad core.  

I eventually was left with solid core material from which I could tie-in the new core material and topskin - 1708oz cloth.

I repeated the process for the starboard side of the boat.

Next, I moved back to the cabin top, and removed more damaged material.  The process was to lay out cut lines that progresses outward from the original work area.  There is no sense in removing non-compromised core material...not to mention the challenge in removing material in good condition.  I first laid out the new cut lines, to starboard...

...and to port.

I then began cutting and removing the starboard topskin, chasing out the bad material

What I was left with was a fairly significant hole in the cabin top, but also solid material that I could build upon.

I repeated the process on the port side, and made a few progressive cuts as I chased out bad core material.

In the end, I had a larger area for which would require new core and topskin, but making this boat stronger and better looking is what the project requires!

Total Time Today:   5.75 hrs

Deconstruction (Part 2)

October 21, 2018

I picked up today where I left off yesterday...tearing out the bad.  As you can see below, the bulkheads are in great need of replacement - the starboard sidestay chainplate.  The starboard bulkhead could be pulled apart by hand around the chainplate.  So, on to the bulkheads...

I began by marking vertical lines on the molded fiberglass furniture just aft of the v-berth.  The area just forward of the bulkheads, on both the port and starboard side, between the bulkhead and v-berth, was open and undefined space.  For now, I planned to seal off the v-berth with a small bulkhead, both port and starboard, and meet with the owner to decide the what is to become of this unused space.

I ran a vertical line down both the port and starboard side.

Opening up this space allowed me to get access to the bulkhead tabbing, necessary for removal of the bulkhead, but also to prep for the new bulkhead installation and proper tabbing.  There is still some detail work to do on the molded fiberglass v-berth, and that will come as I progress in the rebuild.

I removed the port chainplate cover - a piece of wood with a hollowed-out backside, allowing it to sit over the chainplate.

I then removed a 1/4" piece of panel that apparently was placed onto the aft side of the port bulkhead in order to seal up the hole that visible in the picture below.  There was a panel on the forward side as well, and both came off by hand.

Just before I used a reciprocating saw to halve the port bulkhead,  I ran an oscillating tool along the tabbing both forward and aft of the bulkhead to release the bond.  I then pried the upper half from the cabin side and the overhead.  I then pried the lower half from the hull.

The tabbing literally came off the hull by hand - never a good sign.

With the port bulkhead removed, I could see more clearly what I was dealing with and the plan going forward for a support system that would eliminate deck deflection caused by the previous attempt to correct.

I repeated the process for the starboard bulkhead.  Opening things up will also allow for better access while sanding the interior, prepping for the installation of the new bulkheads, modification of the furniture and paint.

I moved forward to remove the chain locker  / collision bulkhead.  The tabbing was only on the forward face of the bulkhead, making removal a bit more difficult.  Like I had done with the primary bulkheads, I removed the chain  locker bulkhead in two piece, allowing better access during the removal.

With the chain locker bulkhead out, I moved up onto the deck to lay out the cut line for removal of an attempted core repair.  The previous owner had installed plywood to a flange of bottom skin running around the opening and then glassed over the plywood.  Over time, the plywood increasingly flexed and deformed with weight and water penetration.  Time for a better repair.

I cut along my laid out lines, and with some finer cuts here and there, removed the plywood.

Back on the ground, I snapped a picture showing the concave surface of the foredeck repair. 

I gathered up of the material removed from the boat, the foredeck plywood panel...

...and all of the interior structure, for disposal.

My last task for the day was to remove the core in the forward part of the cockpit sole.  There was something, at some point, installed in this location, and it had allowed water ingress.  The water, over time, damaged the core and now requires replacement.   I marked the area for core removal, and then cut a small test section.  I immediately saw the damaged core, and the top skin came up easily.  For some reason I did not follow up with a photo of the top skin removal covering the total cut area...but it was done.  The only removal left on the Allied 24 is the old ice box, per the owner's instruction.  That will come later in the week.

Total Time Today:  3.5 hrs

Deconstruction (Part 1)

October 20, 2018

My priority for the weekend is to get the deteriorated structure out of the boat so I can begin interior sanding and prep work for fiberglass and reconstruction of bulkheads and other owner requested installations.  I began in the lazarette locker, focusing on removing the old rotted fuel platforms and outboard bracket.  

The hose coming down from the starboard side and exiting the outboard 'aperture' is a deck drain hose - for some reason emptying into the lazerrete.

The overall condition of the wood was poor.  The fiberglass tabs were not adhered well throughout the construction, and the wood suffered fairly deep moisture issues and flaking paint as a result.

The result of just over an hours worth of work.  I used a corded oscillating tool with a carbide tip, and broke the tabbing on the accessible surfaces.

I began on the starboard side, running the oscillating tool on the transverse tabbing for the fuel platform.  I then ran the oscillating tool along the tabbing joining the platform to the outboard edge of the hull.  With those two surfaces compromised by the tool, I gently pried the top board off.  I then had access to the vertical support board on the platform's inboard side.  I cut the tabbing here and worked the board out of its position.

I then repeated those steps on the port side fuel platforms.  I chose to (forced to)  remove the construction in the lazarette this way due to the fuel platforms leaving me with no room to get my tool onto the outboard bracket. The port side fuel platform finally came up after a bit of persuasion.

With the outboard fuel platforms removed, I now had the outboard bracket surrounded!  With good access for the oscillating tool, I worked the tabbing loose and removed the three layers of laminated plywood that served as the Allied's outboard engine bracket.  I Now have good access within the lazarette to sand and prep the locker for future construction and paint.  The owner has selected a Torquedo outboard to replace the old stinkpot gasoline outboard.

With the lazarette finished for the day, I moved up to the coach roof / mast step.  Despite the iron works below (bridging the bulkheads and supporting the mast from the overhead), there was obvious deformation in the cabin top.  Structurally, the Allied was suffering from a poor attempt to fix the issue.  I laid out an initial cut line...and got to it.

Removing a small section of the top skin (fiberglass laminate) with ease, I quickly could see significant moisture in the balsa core.  In a dry boat, the 'sandwich' construction of a bottom skin of fiberglass with a core of balsa, or some other suitable construction material, and a top skin of fiberglass, offers an extremely robust result.  This sandwich construction technique can withstand significant load and forces applied to it.  However, and as you might imagine, if you compromise the integrity of the core material, well you simply have to floppy layers of fiberglass.   

This is what has happened to this Allied - the core material was compromised, and soon the loaded mast (especially whilst sailing) began to deform the cabin top.   Pictured below, the port side bulkhead simply disintegrating.

I kept removing the top skin, and it did not offer much resistance.  The core was not showing its best.

I removed the top skin as laid out in the initial cut line.  In the upper right of the photo, you can just make out a tuft of fiberglass that was not wet out with resin during the previous attempt at fixing the cabin top sag.  To the left of the dry fiberglass, I found an island of thickened epoxy/polyester that served as a mast step, or reinforcement for where the mast mates with the deck.

Removing this material proved the most challenging as I did not want to totally destroy the bottom skin of fiberglass.

Underneath this island of thickened epoxy material I found a channel that ran transversely from port to starboard.  The bulkheads, outboard of the mast step, were visible inside this channel, and within the channel underneath the mast step I found foam.  For some odd reason, the previous owner placed foam in this critical repair area.  As you can see below, there is pooling water visible in the foam mush.  As they say in Georgia, "that dog just won't hunt!"

At the tip of the screwdriver, you can make out what is left of the port bulkhead.  Once the top skin was compromised, allowing ingress, the port bulkhead had no other choice but to absorb the water coming in.

I extended my cut lines further outboard on the port and starboard side, and gathered all material removed and set in on the starboard side deck.

With the extension in the removal of the top skin, I revealed more of the transverse channel.

And on the port side, the same channel can be seen.  My plan for this channel is to use it as a transverse structural support for the mast's load transferred to the cabin top.

I moved below and began to focus on removing the iron works!

I removed several bolts from an aluminum angle strip on the port side bulkhead, and repeated that process on the starboard side.  I also removed four through-bolts on each side of the mast support beam.  This mast support beam captured the channel running from port to starboard, and then was through-bolted to both bulkheads.  I believe the intent was sufficient, in terms of the interior construction, though perhaps over-built, but in the end the exterior construction was not up to protecting the cabin top fiberglass and core construction.  There will be a more eloquent solution applied. 

A piece of the Brooklyn Bridge...

...or an Allied 24 mast support beam.

I shored things up from below until I could do further work to reinforce this important structure.

The mast step as of October 20, 2018...progress!

Total Time Today: 4.5 hrs