Cal 28 Flushdeck project

Cal28 · #1 07-11-2012

I bought 'Cal-o-mine' almost 3 years ago and although she has become my home (I now live aboard 4-5 nights a week) it is now time to get her ready to sail ... not that she hasn't (there are laying around here still ... a few mis-adventures we've shared) ...

She was once sailed hard on San Francisco Bay ... and when I purchased her looked like she was put away wet ... bare and dirty and abit abused ... but still sound and sturdy

Over time I've amassed a fair amount of equipment to install .. most of which came used at bargain prices (although NOT safety or electrical) and I've asked quite a number of inane questions here (and intend to ask many more over the next weeks) ... I'm not by any stretch of the imagination a craftsman ... (learning to tie knots was a challenge) and at 64 I am not as agile as I once was ...

But I have just completed my 101 course and moving on to 103 (anyone in the San Francisco area looking - see Mary at Afterguard - probably the Bay area's best secret - just a great instructor and program) ... and want to have her ready for San Francisco's 'summer' (the last week of Sept and 1st week of October) ...

I've moved everything off her and into a storage unit ... haul-out's in about a month ... and so here we start ...

Pressure washed and scrubbed and pressure washed some more to clean away all the flaking old paint ... the V berth looked like this ...

Now my first concern was the overhead ... it is sound structurally ... but is merely a sheet of ply glassed over and painted and after 47 years even after intensive (for me) sanding ... I was not able to smooth it out ... nor did I want to with the glass laid on ... so I have decided to apply a couple of base heavy base coats to try to fill-in and cover the best I can before the final off-white paint is applied ...

The hardware holding on the track topside is next ... I unscrewed the nuts and popped the washers ... no apparent leaks ... I'm planning on 'hiding' them with a varnished grooved wooden fillet and know that I have to rebed the stanchions and the bow pulpit (already ordered butyl tape from Maine Sail) ... so the question is ... SHOULD I also redbed all the thirty-some screws ... I'm not planning on using the spinnaker in the near foreseeable future) ...

As always ... thanks in advance

overbored · #2 07-11-2012

If the deck is sound and there are no leaks I would say no. whats the worst that could happen, after a few more years it starts to leak and you fix them then or it never leaks and your good.

Cal28 · #3 07-11-2012

Overbored ...

Thnks ... that's what I was thinking ... but whenever I think it turns out to be offbase ... as I have little experience with sailing or boats for that matter ...

I am going to put a substantial amount of time and effort as well as money into this project ... rewiring 12V .. 110V .. new standing and running rigging ... perhaps new sails ..

but then ... I don't want to let the 'perfect' get in the way of the 'good enough' .. my problem is that I am not sure what is ... 'good enough'

tommays · #4 07-11-2012

I sure did all mine as after all that work you dont want to take it apart again ?

And if by some lucky act the plywood is still dry you SURE do NOT want any water going through the sheet

arf145 · #5 07-11-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommays

And if by some lucky act the plywood is still dry you SURE do NOT want any water going through the sheet

I'm with Tommays here. As I understand it, water moves through plywood much faster than end-grain balsa. If you've actually gotten 47 dry years out of those screw holes, bank your winnings and reseat.

Cal28 · #6 07-11-2012

Tommays

Thanks ... I had a gut feeling that I should do them all ... I'll look at it as practice for rebedding the stanchions ... which leads me to my next question ...

backing plates:

ss or starboard ... I've read alot about each and the Cal doesn't have ~any~ so I'll need quite a few ... from a purely ascetic view I'd prefer ss in the v-berth and main cabin ...

also any idea on sizing (overall and thickness) - I have two different patterns for the stanchions - center to center

- 1 7/8" X 1 7/8"

- 2" X 1 7/8"

I need to decide and get those ordered very soon as the buytl tape arrived today ...

One last thing ... I have spent quite abit of time on your blog ... thanks as it has been time both informative and entertaining

Cal28 · #7 07-11-2012

arf145

you're correct ... now that I have decided to put the time and energy and money into refitting her ... I may as well do it correctly

Thanks

tommays · #8 07-11-2012

One of the things i did was use G10 in place of the core in the stanchion area which was a complete waste of time as it is exactly the same as the balsa

Over time all the high stress hardware was sinking into the skins and as i kind of get my stainless more or less for free it was and easy pick

14 gauge is a bit thin 12 is Good

I had a pile of 10 gauge scarps so 10 it was and after the first hurricane i cant really regret it

eherlihy · #9 07-11-2012

Quote:

One of the things i did was use G10 in place of the core in the stanchion area which was a complete waste of time as it is exactly the same as the balsa

What??? Balsa is organic, and comes from a tree. Balsa will decompose if allowed to get wet. G10 is/will not.

I would have suggested G10 as backing plates, instead of making a core out of it. However, since you did, and you already have made SS backing plates, and are using SS screws (presumably), I think that you are good to go.

Lake Superior Sailor · #10 07-11-2012

I own a 28 Cal flushdeck 1967, and sail Lake Superior with it, mine also needed lots of work. but it's well worth it! The vessel can really sail. I've repowered ,with a YMS 8.....Dale