VICTORIA Stbd Fwd Lower Chainplate Repair

[Sabreman]

During Victoria’s pre-purchase survey, the surveyor noted significant rot and de-lamination in the bulkheads where the Forward and Port and Starboard lower chainplates are secured. I replaced the port bulkhead in 2006. The repair is documented in the link below. The starboard side was minor in comparison. While inspecting the boat this winter I decided to finally fix the starboard side.

S/V Victoria Head Reconstruction

The strategy to repair the starboard bulkhead was to cut out the rotted area and laminate in a new section. To increase the bonding area, the existing bulkhead and insert were rabbited and bonded with thickened epoxy. The traditional method of joining plywood with an 8:1 scarf was not possible due to the tight location.

The new section was fitted with a long tenon epoxied into the existing cut-away tabbing with thickened epoxy. New tabbing was epoxied to the insert and to the hull. Fiberglass tape was applied over the rabbited joints. After shelving is reinstalled, teak trim will be applied over the joints to hide the repair. This repair isn't going anywhere; it's solid. I hope that the photos show up. If not, the full links is

VICTORIA Starboard Bulkhead Repair

[tommays]

Thanks for the write up as i am doing the same repair

[Sabreman]

Hopefully, your repair is easier to get to than mine. Half my body has to go into the locker for me to get at it. There is very little light and I did most of the work by flashlight. With that said, as a woodworking project it wasn't that difficult. The port side was much more involved because I had to tab in a much larger piece and rebuild all the cabinetry aft of the bulkhead.

It looks as if you have a 45 degree bevel for the new scarf. Traditional plywood scarfing calls for an 8:1 length vs. thickness for the bevel. Since that really wasn't an option in my case, I used a rabbit (increasing the gluing area by 50%) and used tape over the joint on both sides. I'd recommend the same in your situation. I'd also recommend epoxy with collodial silca as a thickner to fill any gaps in your bevel.

Good luck