[Public-List] Strengthening Soft Bulkheads - Al Masthead Fitting Failures.

[Michael Connolly via Public-List]

Jonathan, Wes and Jeffery, 
Thanks for your thoughts and analysis. 
  
I was thinking of arranging a type of vacuum bagging device to help the penetrating Epoxy do its thing. I assume this would help on vertical surfaces as well as horizontal. 
  
What is G10? Source for this product?  Has anyone installed bushings around the larger 5/16" through bolts to create a larger bearing surface between the plywood bulkhead and the fastener?  I certainly like the idea of using a metal plate of some sort in lieu of separate flat washers on the opposite side of the bulkhead/knee from the chain plate. 
  
Speaking of Rigs coming down.  I have heard many times of failures of cast aluminum stem head fittings on older (1970"s) boats with the loss of the head stay.  Fortunately the A-30 uses bronze for that fitting, but she does have an aluminum masthead fitting.  Are there any documented failures of A-30 aluminum masthead fittings with the resultant loss of rig? George Dinwiddie might know? 
  
I appreciate any and all good thoughts on these issues. 
Thank you, 
Michael #133 
----- Original Message -----

From: "Jonathan Bresler" <262alberg30 at gmail.com> 
To: "Wes Gardner" <wesgardner1952 at gmail.com>, "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> 
Cc: "Michael Connolly" <crufone at comcast.net>, "Public List Alberg" <public-list at alberg30.org> 
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2016 8:45:38 AM 
Subject: Re: [Public-List] Strengthening Soft Bulkheads. 

Noodling on this a bit 
Guessing that  


    * the bolts through the bulkhead resist the upward pull of the shrouds. 
    * the end of the bolt at the chainplate is being pull upwards 
    * the structure of the bulkhead has to resist the upwards pull  
    * the incompressibility of the bulkhead is what provides the resistance 
    * might be good to obtain a piece of G10 that extends the length of the chainplate plus a bit, laminate the G10 to the bulkhead, through bolt the chainplate to the G10 and the bulkhead. 
    * at that point, guessing that it would be the G10 that is resisting the upwards pull rather than the bulkhead, and the G10 is transferring that force to the portion of the bulkhead that the G10 is laminated to.   
    * punkiness in specific small areas of the bulkhead would not matter as the G10 is laminated to a much larger area and that area as a whole would have to fail for the G10 to move. 
    * might be good to do this two shrouds at a time with the chosen pair of shrouds fully loosened. 

Thoughts ? 

Jonathan 

On Thu, Jan 28, 2016 at 6:21 PM, Wes Gardner via Public-List < public-list at lists.alberg30.org > wrote: 


And of course, the disclaimer - only you can evaluate the effectiveness of any repair vs. replacement and as Jeff points out, how well you'll sleep at night. :-) 

Sent from my iPhone 

> On Jan 28, 2016, at 5:24 PM, Michael Connolly via Public-List < public-list at lists.alberg30.org > wrote: 
> 
> Hi all, 
> 
> The Lorrie Rose has many problems among them bulkheads which are suspect. 
> 
> She has wood-grained Melamine laminated to her primary bulkheads.  Tapping with a small hammer in the vicinity of the chain plates produces a hollow sound. I suspect at minimum the laminate has detached from the plywood substrate.  There is relatively little apparent water damage in this area, but there is evidence of water intrusion. 
> 
> I plan to remove the chain plates and peal back or lift off the Melamine where it has delaminated, revealing the condition of the plywood beneath. 
> 
> My question to those on the list is.  If there is no wholesale rotten plywood, i.e., delaminating plies, missing pieces or punky holes but perhaps some soft or tender but intact plywood, would it be possible to consolidate the exposed plywood with some sort of penetrating epoxy product?  Git-rot (R) comes to mind. 
> 
> I would most likely redo the tabbing to the hull and deck.  Perhaps lay-up some epoxy saturated fiberglass cloth to the consolidated surface of the bulkhead. In other words, if the damage is not extensive or covering a large area, can the bulkheads be repaired/strengthened without wholesale replacement?  Has anyone attempted to do this in lieu of replacing the bulkheads? 
> 
> Thanks for your thoughts, 
> 
> Michael #133 
> 
> 
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-- 
Jonathan M Bresler 
Alberg 30 #262 
Annapolis/Eastport MD