bulkhead beam material

[feetup]

I have heard several people bemoaning the steel beam in their Cals and always wondered why the designer chose not to make a glass, or glass over ply hard point. It seems like a no brainer that the steel is going to deteriorate faster than any other part of the hull, and yet there are so many things that they got right in that design. The beam itself is not that robust, and taking Sailingdog's thoughts to practical conclusion I don't think it would be that hard to build a glass or glass/ply beam of adaquate or surplus strength and rigidity. Use my favourite engineering principle and overbuild if you're not sure of the dynamics.

It seems quite obvious that in the case of the OP where a replacement is difficult or impossible to obtain, and maybe not the best idea in the first place that a robust hand laid replacement would be the answer he is looking for.

Good one Sailingdog.

Feetup

[Sailormann]

If it was my boat I would not replace it with a piece of metal. I would cut a shaping form and then buy carbon fibre and fibreglass tape. I would laminate these alternatively until I had a solid beam that was thick enough. It would not rot and it would be very easy to install if I had the foresight to lay in some cross strips to use as tabbing from a few different layers.

Failing that I would do as SD suggested. The last thing I would do would be to put metal in my bilge area.

GOod Luck