[Public-List] Cockpit Coaming

[j t wittbold]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

To be clear, I was referring to a bead of caulking running on the outboard side of cockpit that is intended to prevent water on deck entering in the space between coaming and hull. My concern was this might make it very hard to evaporate whatever water does get in there… either from sea water while sailing or just from rain, snow or washing the deck and cockpit.

When I did remove the caulk strip I found some rotten teak remnants (ughhh) and it was clearly moist back there. Which is what prompted my question. It really looks to me like there is about a full 1/8" tolerance between coaming and the hull which makes me wonder whether or not it was really intended to be sealed off? That is pretty clearly enough room to evacuate water so that the moisture can evaporate.

My coamings were not embedded in any sort of bedding compound. Water flowed very freely from deck down the back of the coaming and onto cockpit seats when I was washing off deck and cockpit. I guess I'm inclined to agree with Jeff's philosophy about seawater entering cockpit through an un-caulked coaming… I'm already wet and cold :)

So for this winter I will probably just let the outboard side of the coamings air out for a while and then reapply a strip of caulk.
Hopefully next fall I will have the ambition to remove and do both sides of coaming and possibly use a bedding compound.
But I am still curious about Whitby's original design and understanding the "right" way to preserve the longevity of these coamings.
I imagine it would be a very expensive and highly skilled job to replace these.

-Todd
Valhöll #207



On Sep 25, 2013, at 5:46 PM, Jeffrey <fongemie at gmail.com> wrote:

> I did the opposite. I didn't bed the coaming with anything.  I know someone
> with a Triton and he does the same (no bedding) so I gave it a try.  I've
> not seen a downside yet. Water rushing down the deck does not flood the
> cockpit seats unless the weather & seas are real bad, then we're getting
> soaked anyway from the spray. I've taken my coamings off a couple of times
> in the winter to varnish and it makes it easy with no bedding compound to
> deal with. The underside of the coaming does not seem any worse for wear,
> though I bet the ability to keep underside varnished may be helping.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jeffrey Fongemie
> 
> Seagrass
> Alberg 30 #116
> Boothbay Harbor Maine
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 4:03 PM, Glenn <brooks.glenn at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>> Tod,  assume you are describing the outboard side of the coaming, where it
>> T's to the deck?  (Not inside the cockpit side). Dont know about the
>> original installation but I bedded my coaming
>> Liberally with dolphite bedding compound when I refinished the coamings,
>> and also sealed the quarter round where it butts up against the coaming and
>> deck.  Personally I think its a good idea to seal it to keep water out.
>> if sealed, water has a harder time getting under the finish, and soaking
>> into the wood.
>> 
>> Dolce is in the most miserable,  grey, wet, disgusting winter climate in
>> the US - the pacific northwest rainforest where it rains constantly and
>> stays wet for months at time.  Boat hasnt had any trouble with wood rot
>> when the coamings are bedded well.  FYI, I do leave the  bottom of the
>> coaming inside the cockpit open so any water that does get in  can drain.
>> 
>> Glenn
>> Dolce 318
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>> On Sep 25, 2013, at 11:19 PM, j t wittbold <johnnywittbold at mac.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi-
>>> I am applying Cetol to cockpit coaming.
>>> In the process I have removed the aging caulking  that was in place
>> between the coaming and deck.
>>> 
>>> Questions:
>>> 1) Is this caulking a good idea in general? Does it not make it harder
>> for the moisture that does get in there to evaporate?
>>> 2) Does anyone know whether or not this space between coaming and
>> deck/hull was sealed in the original A30?
>>> 3) If it is really a good idea to seal off this space, any recommended
>> caulk for bonding Cetol coated coaming to deck?
>>> 
>>> Thanks
>>> 
>>> Todd
>>> Valhöll #207
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> ______________
> 
> Jeffrey Fongemie
> 
> <http://instagram.com/jfongemie>
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