Cockpit Replacement

I am about to venture on replacing the rotten cockpit and rear cabin wall of my 40 ft sportfish. Has anyone done this and do you have any pointers ?

The hull is fiberglass and the cockpit is 3/4 ply with fiberglass coating. I will be using 3/4 marine grade ply for replacement and west system epoxy resin with a layer of fiber.

The rear wall is half ply and half glass with a sliding door. I want to replace the door with a swinging door. Any ideas on doors ? Where to buy ? Make ?
As far as I know, the rear wall is not structural.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Hi there,

Is it realy wise to replace a sliding door with a swinging door? Except if you can latch it easy in such a way that it does not smash in your face by the unexpected movements of a boat. Use a shower door. They normally have glass which you cannot break. I used them on my Jacuzzi and I have flabbergasted many inspectors.

If you start replacing the rotten parts, you will see that after a few pieces, it is not that difficult and you will quickly get the hang of it. Just make sure about the volume of fiberglass you mix, versus uses. Also temperature / humidity variations have to be observed.

For the rest it is a piece of cake.

Any comment on my trailable electric catamaran?

BertKu

 

A swinging door is fine. I wouldn't recommend a shower door. As Bert has mentioned, make sure it can swing all the way open or can be latched open, so it doesn't hurt someone in a pitching sea.

The aft bulkhead to your pilothouse/cabin or whatever is very probably structural. It's a huge element and likely holding a lot of stuff up. If it wasn't a load bearing piece it would be a thin skin of 'glass over 1/8" or 1/4" plywood.

Some pictures would be helpful at this point.

Sole replacement and these types of general repairs have been covered many times on this board. Use the search tool to dig up what you can on soles, bulkheads, 'glassing, etc.

 

If the old ply rotted out , the new ply will leave in a similar amount of time.

I prefer to find a flat floor and lay up core with a skin on either side.

Nadia Core is not expensive (like Airex) and very EZ to lay up flat.

A one piece floor will be about 2 1/2 lbs per sq ft , so a couple of buddies should be able to muscle it aboard.

It should be stiff enough to not require much in the way of stringers , unless you have quite large hatches cut in.

Even so its EZ to lay in top hat stringers while laying it up(slit cardboard tubes).

Do it right once and forgetaboutit.

FF

 

Thanks for the advise.

The reason I say the aft bulkhead is not load bearing is because it is as you described. About 1/2 is glass and the rest is 1/4 in ply and the sliding door hangs from the cieling.

In thinking about it .. my main concern is how to remove the old floor which is attached to the hull without damaging the hull. Any thoughts ?

 

Some pics would be helpful. The new deck needs some camber and thought-out drainage.

 

I do not have pics of my boat but this is almost identical to what i am dealing with :

 

"my main concern is how to remove the old floor which is attached to the hull without damaging the hull. Any thoughts ?"

A jig saw , NOT A SAWZALL (too long blade) fitted with a abrasives blade (no teeth) does the best job of cutting glass and raises least dust.They don't go dull simply from being hot.

Cut inside , say 6 inches from the hull, and go back and trim where/when you can see.

You might contemplate leaving 2 inches of the old floor to lay the newly built deck on.Might make the job half the work.

Talcum powder your body before getting GRP dust on you , and a COLD shower to start closes more of your pores , so less itching.

WEAR A GOOD DUST MASK!!

FF

 

Yes, your aft pilothouse bulkhead is structural. If it's not, it would be a rare thing. Considering the amount of material used, it certainly suggests it's load bearing.

 

Of course, the Pilothouse bulkhead is structural. Why should a designer / boatbuilder make it non structural? To waste weight at another area to get the junk rigid?