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CAL 21 Refit in South Carolina

9K views 36 replies 7 participants last post by  othomas3 
#1 ·
Pictures of the rip out phase. Both quarter berths gone because the wood was rotted from leaking side lights. First longitudinal bulkhead supporting the counter top removed.

To Do:
Remove the forward most longitudinal bulkhead supporting the counter top.

Remove top of V-berth

Remove deck hardware and teak hand holds

Cut new V-berth

Cut new support bulkheads for the counter tops

Cut new sides for the swing-keel housing

Rework the cockpit to deck connection

Fiberglass weak areas where light comes through hull

Sand entire below decks

Paint below decks and add new fabric to replace original (ripped out a long time ago by a previous owner).

Rebed deck hardware

Prep hull and cabin top for painting.

About 2 weeks work, wouldn't you say? :laugher
 

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#3 ·
Last longitudinal bulkhead that supports the counter top removed. V-berth top removed - looks like I'll take out the V-berth supports, also. Fiberglass dust everywhere like white talc. Need a better respirator and googles. Have a zip up tyek suit.
 

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#4 ·
Any suggestions on painting the inside of the cabin and hull, and the outside bottom, cabin and hull?

It looks like it had fabric in the cabin and V-berth area at one time. I think I see remnants of the adhesive in those areas under paint.

Suggestions for fabric?
 
#5 ·
Ot, Wondering why you chose to start a new thread. I have a tough time keeping track of what's going on Cal21 wise. I am elderly. But I too am working on my Cal. Just installed a couple of reinforcing bulkheads on the port side of the trunk. Right side seems OK. Also ripped out all the ply on the sides of the qtr berths, and cut two 1/4" ply tops to install over the existing ones...after I replace the posts and rails that have collapsed(actually I don't think there were ever any posts in those spots). Lots of other jobs to work on, but none that will keep me from launching soon.
 
#6 ·
Rippy,

I didn't want to hijack someone else's thread. Have any pictures of your progress?

I removed the V-berth supports yesterday evening. Now I have to take off the deck hardware so I plug "extra" holes from previous owners and sand the entire below decks and hull in preparation for painting.

Do you have a headliner in your Cal? I am thinking about installing one.

I'm not saying how old I am but I was born in 1956. :)
 
#7 ·
Ot, No pics right now. My current goals are different than yours I think. I was born in '37 and my plan is to just use 21 as a daysailer. Only work inside was to firm up support around the trunk. Well I did have to remove a lot of peeled paint and rotted plywood. Never any sign of cloth on ceiling or anyplace else. Guess the point is that the interior is not my priority. I have only sailed the boat a couple of times and that was just before a hurricane washed it off it's mooring. Long story, won't go there. I have a big fear of losing the keel as described on the other forum just now. Other owners have placed that fear in my head. I didn't like the fact that the wire stayed attached to the keel when I did sail it so researched how to get that whole rig back to factory standards. Did find a lot of info, but haven't solved the problem yet. I also have no way to remove the keel to check the hole that the pivot bolt runs through without spending bucks, which I don't have a lot of. I need to do some work on the transom, the keel space in the cockpit, jib roller reefing, and you may have seen my posts about cutting off the bottom of the mast to reduce heeling and the need to sit on the hull all the time. Too old for that action. I have the boat sitting on it's trailer with the mast raised right now. I am evaluating a very simple roller reefing rig that came with the boat. Have not used it. I got the boat from a fellow who was not a sailor and who scared the hell out of his girl friend and probably soiled his pants. When "they" say the boat is tender, I am in complete agreement.
this is already too long. More later? Off to reply to the other poster, Ron Plasse. :)
 
#8 ·
I think I just uncovered more work to do.

I took the rub rail off and some of the screws holding the aluminium rub rail weren't biting into anything. May have to drill some out and plug. Actually, I should probably drill out and plug all the rub rail holes.

After removing the rub rail I noticed the stern deck seems to be lifting or not securely attached to the hull.

already decided to remove all the deck hardware, dill out an plug holes, then re-bed the hardware. Just waiting for a little help topside while I'm below decks to get this hardware off.

Then it will be patch and sand the imperfections in the hull and cabin.

Decided no headliner because I think it would retain moisture and grow mold and mildew.

I think my last estimate of splashing this Cal just extended into July.

Pictures later this week.
 
#9 ·
More pictures. I either made a hole in the hole or found one. I'm leaning toward I made it with the edge of a sanding wheel. Deck on the stern looks like it is coming apart along with some damage on the stbd corner that was covered by the rub rail.
 

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#10 ·
Picture of the stbd side showing a light blue stripe under a black stripe. I like the original color.

Bow area of cabin with the V-berth removed and the inside hull mostly sanded.

Pictures of the port and stbd cabin deck showing raised fiberglass the was holding the rotted quarter berths. I have to sand those down, also.

Coming along slowly.
 

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#11 ·
Re: CAL 21 Refit in South Carolina Deck is Off

Used a Harbor Freight Oscillating Tool with Rockwell scraper to separate the deck from the hull. I was wearing a white painters suit (from Northern Tool) because I had to crawl under the cockpit to remove the nuts from the rudder pins and outboard motor mount.
 

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#12 ·
You can see the rotted wood on the transom. Looks like a patch work of pieces to support the rudder.

Both deck chain plate areas had been rotted and repaired before and need to be replaced, again.
 

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#13 ·
You are quite the surgeon! And it looks like you got to your patient just in time. Was this boat sunken at some time? You have earned my hearty admiration for taking on this task. I reckon it will be a labor of love. Do you have a target date for launch? If you have pics of the keel I would like to see them.
 
#14 ·
As I am sanding off the interior white paint I find a tan color covering underneath it. The white sands off easily but the tan (paint?) takes more work to remove.

Anyone know what the tan covering is?

About 90% of the inside of the hull is sanded. Pictures soon.
 
#35 ·
There are hundreds, if not thousands of CAL owners who would LOVE to know what the heck that factory original coating is on hte insides of their boats! It doesn't seem to be paint, but it really doesn't seem to be gel-coat..... but it sure is tough to sand/remove! Won't come off if you want to... but sure likes to chip and flake off if you don't want it to. Owners have mentioned trying to grind it off, just clogs the sandpaper or grinding wheel. Tried removing it with solvents.... didn't work. Leave it alone... and it sheds in big flakes!

We just scaped off what was loose and painted over it with marine enamel, later used Interlux Brightside polyurethane.

On another note, our 1970 CAL 21 was "painted" on the inside (hull interior ans underside of the deck), but I have heard/seen evidence that later years did have some kind of cloth/vinyl covering the hull ceiling (inside of hull, not to be confused with what we call "ceiling" in a house, but is called "Overhead" on a boat.) Richard Fuller (Rhuta Bagas) mentioned a hull-liner having been used on his boat (Cal21.com).
 
#17 ·
Sanding the inside of the hull under the cabin is 99% finished.:) Just the tip of the bow left.

Built a frame to lift the hull but it is a work in progress. I need support closer to the hull to keep it from opening up when I work on that side.

Pictures show my progress.
 

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#19 ·
Eventually I want to lift it off the trailer and drop the swing keel.

But I still have work to do on shoring the hull so it won't go like rubber. You're right, fiberglass is very flexible by itself.

I finish the top of the inside of the bow sanding and then it's on to the deck and cabin.:D
 
#20 ·
Finally bought a 10' x 20' shelter to keep the rain out of the hull and the sun off me while I'm out there.

Before and after of the transom rotted wood removal.

Pictures of the stern from the outside.

Hull paint: The white is thick. Under the white the entire hull appears to be light blue. The blue seems pretty thick. Under the blue is a light coat of grey (primer?). Some previous owner painted the blue stripe black.

Bought a 3/4" 4' x 8' sheet of marine plywood to use for the bulkheads that go across the forward end of the swing keel housing.

Any suggestions on the type of paint to use on the inside?
 

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#36 · (Edited)
Hull paint: The white is thick. Under the white the entire hull appears to be light blue. The blue seems pretty thick. Under the blue is a light coat of grey (primer?). Some previous owner painted the blue stripe black.

Any suggestions on the type of paint to use on the inside?
I don't think that white/blue "grey" is paint, at least on hte transom, what I see is the original gelcoat. The "grey" that I see is the fiberglass resin. The colors on a fiberglass boat are sprayed into the mold before fiberglass is laid in. Your photos indicate the steps used in this (and answers my curiousity) and I would surmise that Jensen Marine (CAL) must have masked off the mold where the colored stripes go before spraying in the white gelcoat, then removed the masking and sprayed in the blue gelcoat. The fiberglass cloth and resin were then laid up in the mold.

For painting the inside of the hull and deck, we used marine enamel and one-part polyurethane paints. Some owners have used paints intended for use in bathrooms on shore, some of those paints contain an anti-mildew additive. They are usually white but can be tinted from what I've heard.

Be sure to take VERY careful measurements of the deck width before installing new bulkheads as it appears that the hull has already settled and spread since the removal of the deck (that is one reason builders install the bulkheads before removing hull from the mold) hind-sight is always 20/20!

Keep up the good work, the CAL 21 is one GREAT boat! (opinion after 38 years of sailing "NODROG".

Oh, one question, how was the chainplate for the backstay fastened to the hull? In 38 years we never did figure it out! No bolts visible, but there is no way wood screws into the plywood inside that part of the transom could have held up. Go figure!
 
#21 ·
Under side of the deck showing the port and starboard areas where the chain plates protrude through the deck. There is wood rot to replace, and they have been replaced previously by the looks of the patch.

Under side of the cockpit area. Still a lot of sanding to do on the deck/cabin undersides.

Picked up a Ryobi 5", variable speed random oscillating sander from a pawn shop. Man is that better than my old Craftsman 4" single speed random oscillating sander!
 

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#23 ·
So I cut two bulkheads for the for and aft of the swing keel housing using the previous bulkheads for patterns.

When I did a dry fit the port and stbd edges of the bulkheads aren't even close to touching.

Pulling the deck/cabin off the hull may have been a mistake!

Now to figure a way to pull the hull to the bulk heads.

Anyone have any thoughts?
 
#27 ·
Patched screw holes and chips along the top edge of the hull that was covered by the deck. I don't know if water ever made it's way through the damaged sections of the hull but since I was could see it I fixed it.

Stern has stress cracks that I will have to deal with. Thinking about reinforcing the stern on the inside of the stress cracks with some fiberglass cloth.

Have two holes to patch on the port side and then I can put ratchet straps on and install the two bulkheads on either side of the swing keel pivot point.
 

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