Cal21 Rebuild Questioins

[coralgardener]

Hi All,
I'm new to sailing so I've grabbed every how to book the local library system has on sailing, maintenance, wiring, anything I could find there. I love to keep myself busy with projects and did I ever rope myself a huge one here. a cal21 that was the county’s biggest mosquito farm, it had two foot of water in it for who knows how long, the whole interior turned to compost.
anyhow I know to use marine plywood to rebuild the bulkheads and bunks, floors and all, but what would anyone suggest the secondary wood that holds the plywood together that you run the screws into?
I've also separated the deck from the hull because the sheer clamps or strips (at least that’s what they are called in kayak construction) they are disintegrating with every touch. any clue what to use here? I figure I will need to scarf these, as 21 foot lumber of any kind in Ohio is imposable to find.
I've tried to ask some repair shops around the area and they won’t give out any kind of trade secrets, all they say is bring it in and we can give you an estimate. nope we can't tell you anything without seeing it so I brought pictures even and they say sorry bring it in and...
I found five sheets of okoume the other day so I’m chomping at the bit to get started. bought a n angle grinder yesterday and started to get rid of the old tabs.
Oh also what would be the best way to seal it once I’m finished, some say encapsulate it in fiberglass, others say paint it , then I read it must breathe, it’s all so confusing?
any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Thank You

[OtterGreen]

we had one years ago for 3 years. the nightmare ended when we sold it. FYI, that heavy 500 lb swing keel is notorious for the cable snapping, fouling on the drum, flatspots and sliding through the grips on the keel point. the angles demanded are too severe for proper use. at least 5 times a season someone would draw straws to see who was going under the hull and come up looking like a smurf. i dont mean to sound mean, but it sounds like you have quite a project on your hands that will need professional attention. if you cant do it yourself or feel unconfident, then hire someone who does. trust me weve all learned at one point or another trying to accomplish jobs too far out of our reach. good luck

[OtterGreen]

PS, i hope this was something you acquired and nothing you paid any sort of currency for.

[lat42north]

I bought a Cal 21 in 99', it also had about a foot of water in it. Everything inside was mush. I split the hull/deck, removed the keel & started from scratch. I didn't use marine ply as I knew I would be covering it all with fiberglass/epoxy. Took me 6 months to get it all finished. Then I took it down to the Gulf of Mexico for about 4 months of sea trials... someone in Texas fell in love with it and I came back with full pockets but no boat or trailer. I didn't have nay problems with the keel, the thing sailed like a witch, she would heel about 25 deg. and then just GO!. I put roller furling on her with a 140 genny, new main, auto-pilot... man that was a sweet boat!!!!

Larry C

[coralgardener]

Hey Larry,
I think she sweet too, and with that keel I don't know how she couldn't stay upright.
so did you have to replace the shear strips that the deck screws fastened into? if so what lumber did you choose? mine were disintegrating before my eyes is mainly why I lifted the deck. do you have any photos of her?
I'll probably try to keep the interior as original as possible, though I wish I would of taken more photos before I took the hose in and dismantled it into a pile of compost.
The mast fell (no damage to it) when the interior rotted and the chainplate pulled through and the bolts ripped a hole through the deck, so It will become a good learning experience for me to start.
anyhow... any advice would be greatly appreciated.

-kenny

[lat42north]

I replaced the wood that the deck/hull joint uses with mahogany. My chain plates also fell off, I glassed new ones in. I changed the layout a bit, a v-berth with storage under it. about 24" of compartment/shelves aft of that, then 2 quarter berths. I compartmented off the rear lazerette from the rest of the cabin. I glassed in 1/2" ply on both sides of the centerboard trunk, I wanted it to be stronger in case of a knockdown (glad I did!). New SS keel bolt, put Bomar hatch in the front of the cabintop for flow through ventilation. I had NO through hulls.
I have pics... I'll dig them up and scan them (35mm).

When I put the hull/deck back I also used 3M 5200 between the joint. When I had everything back together, it was one stiff boat!!!

Make sure you put some temporary braces across the hull to hold it in the same shape/width as when it came off from the cabintop!!!! You want them to fit very well when they go back together!!!

Larry C

[growser]

Coral - would love to hear an update, maybe pictures??