Cruising Helmsman - July 2018

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Cruising Helmsman July 2018

If they have been leaking, expect damage

to the cabin sides, hull lining, head lining,

and whatever lies directly below.

Are the aluminium frames corroded?

Acrylic or polycarbonate lenses crazed?

Aggressive sanding, then progressively

finer grades of sandpaper followed by

polish can remove light crazing. (David

Bowden, CH June 2016). Sound time-

consuming? It is, replacement is often

more economical.

On opening ports that have the

rubber gasket attached to the lens, try

gently pushing the gasket to ensure it

is attached properly. Most are glued on

with contact cement, which breaks down

over time.

BULKHEADS, CHAINPLATES AND

THE MAST SUPPORT

Look around the lower edges of

bulkheads for signs of water staining,

especially where a bulkhead is tabbed

to the hull. Some boats have laminex-

coated bulkheads, which is fine as long

as the laminex has been removed where

the bulkhead is fibreglassed. There are

production boats in Australia where

this was not done and, unsurprisingly,

the glass has parted company or never

adhered to the bulkhead.

Try sticking your knife blade between

the two to check the bonding. Check all

accessible bulkheads the same way.

Is the mast keel or deck-stepped?

What is under the lower end of the

mast or compression post?

This is a prime site for movement,

which can be indicated by: rigging

screws that have been taken up to their

limit; by cracking around the mast base

on deck if deck-stepped; movement of the

f loorboard supports and f loorboards that

do not fit properly.

UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS/

KEEL ATTACHMENT

Lift the f loorboards and have a look at the

keel bolts, especially in the area just aft of

the keel. Actually, have the owner or owner’s

representative lift the f loorboards because

these things are easy to chip. If you cause

damage, you may be liable for the repair.

The same goes in removing any parts of the

headlining you would like to see under.

A hard grounding tends to push the aft

end of a fin keel upwards. Check for signs of

movement in the structure supporting the

keel. In modern boats, this is usually a series

of moulded sections running athwartships

(cross-wise), which also form part of the

internal furniture support or mouldings.

Rusty keel bolts or nuts are a serious

warning signal. Rust comes from the

break down of the bolts. Use your

hammer to check the entire keel support

structure, or pan, for soft-sounding areas

that could indicate delamination.

GENERAL INTERIOR

Is the interior worn? Check under bunk

cushions, mattresses and coverings for

mould and moisture.

A musty or mouldy smell inside could

indicate leakage, prior water damage, or

simply neglect. However, lack of mouldy

odour does not necessarily indicate no

mould is present.

STEERING

Check steering cables, quadrant, tiller,

pedestal, autopilot. Is the steering free

and easy to move, without excessive slop?

Do the cables run fairly through their

sheaves? Is the area generally accessible,

or do you need to disassemble the aft end

of the boat?

The latter could indicate nothing in

there has been maintained or checked

for a long time.

RIG

Rigging replaced over ten years ago, or

no documentation at all? Your insurance

company probably will not accept it.

Furler: unroll the headsail to see the

condition of the sail and the furler foil.

Pay attention to the point where the foil

enters the drum. Damage here could

indicate the furler has had a hard life.

Look up the foil. Is each two metre

section of foil neatly mated to the one

CYCLONE OR FLOOD-

DAMAGED BOATS

These days you need to know if you are

dealing with a cyclone or flood boat.

After the recent series of intense

tropical cyclones on the Queensland

coast, major flooding of some rivers and

severe storms in the south, a number

of damaged but poorly repaired boats

have been relocated to disguise their

history: tide marks in inconspicuous

places like aft lockers and engine rooms,

dampness around bulkheads, or recent

soft furnishings and electronics can all

indicate the boat has been underwater.

A vague history should be investigated,

as should any apparent repairs or

repainting.

PRACTICAL

MAINTENANCE

This bobstay may only have tea-staining, but

why is the stainless steel hull fitting rusty?