Mistakes Making Bulkheads - Episode 7 - DIY Free Sailboat Refit

[@SailingOTR]

What a project! To start, NEVER fit bulkheads tight against a single skin f/g hull. This does not create support for the hull but creates a hard spot on the hull all along the length of the interface. The bulkheads should be spaced, on a boat this size, at least 10~12mm away from the f/g of the hull. Use strips of urethane foam insulation material cut with a trim knife from a full sheet. the foam should form a taper from the bulkhead to the hull at a 45 degree angle. This makes an easy transition from the plane of the bulkhead to the plane of the hull. It is easy to get things to stick together with small dabs of auto body filler. Do know use that stuff to make fillets. Second. From an earlier video you were going on about electric this and that. On a boat your size that is impractical. You will not have the room for a sufficient number of solar panels to keep the battery bank properly charged. To come even close to what you want to do you would need 400 amp hours of lithium batteries, and 400 watts of solar panels and that does not include the load from an electric motor. Which would have limited range and limited power. And all of that would cost far more than a small 10~15 HP diesel. They are quite economical in fuel consumption. Learn what a "tick" stick is and how to use it. Buy a small compass, the kind school children use, as a scribe. You can find out about all this stuff from DIY You Tube videos. Also buy a set of four BU chisels. 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1". I call them BU chisels because the BU stands for "Brutal Usage". They are not for fine wood work but for demolition and peeling off old f/g tabbing. Good luck with you project. May your troubles melt like lemon drops.

[@SailingPuffin]

Thanks for the advice ! I have been lucky and got a copy of the original pencil drawn plans. The whole gap or rubber etc between bulkheads and hull was always going either way from comments, but on original plans it directs you to do as you said to prevent hard spots. You were spot on on that! I like the BU chisel idea ! Engine wise will still be a long way in the future but I’m quite dead set on electric to experiment. To start this won’t be out on the ocean but will probably be on a river a lot.

[@SailingOTR]

@@SailingPuffin Go for it

[@jamespresnall5844]

What if you use 1/4 inch aluminum for your backing plates. Make a triangle cardboard template and have a single piece of aluminum for the forestay and bow pulpit backing. That should give plenty of support

[@SailingPuffin]

I think I’ll be looking into potentially changing for metal rather than wood backings for sure ! Thanks for the tip

[@jamespresnall5844]

@@SailingPuffin I would consider using aluminum for all of your backing plates ie: winches, pulley blocks etc. years ago I installed metal backing plates on a friends Catalina 27. You literally lift the entire boat with them

[@jakejaekels7991]

Bulkhead edges I would suggest West Systems Epoxy with, I think, it’s bin a long time since I did this kind of repairs, Silica thickener then tab each side of the bulkhead again with epoxy and mid weight cloth.

[@SailingPuffin]

Hi yes I have the filleting mix for the epoxy resin for when I get to that! Thanks for the tip!

[@coachman290651]

hi find your self some aluminum 10 mm thick and make a new triangle fore-stay plate this will give a lasting strength to whole area it did this on my boat years ago

[@SailingPuffin]

Would I be better off with stainless steel ? Reason I say that is I think the top plate and bolts are most likely stainless .... I think I like the idea though.

[@CraigOverend]

The gap doesn't have to be perfect as ideally you want a gap between the bulkhead and hull to prevent hard points. To move the bulkhead back at the top and get it vertical you could add more high density closed-cell foam or balsa wood strips to the top edge than bottom. Anywhere between 3mm and 12mm fill material should be fine if you tab it properly with fiberglass. See this diagram: www.cruisersforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38780&d=1331916180

[@SailingPuffin]

Thanks for the info

[@jakejaekels7991]

Cavaseal, not sure of spelling, not silica, with epoxy to glue bulkhead to hull.

[@SailingPuffin]

Bulkheads I’ll need to figure out a foam to put between bulkhead and hull. Have west system fillet filler to go round the edge then glass tabs along sides. I won’t be glueing the bulkhead straight to hull. After studying original drawings it seems they don’t do a straight glue but have foam cushion.

[@bighonker6842]

Cabaseal

[@fatfishchaser3803]

Throw that level away!

[@fatfishchaser3803]

Also get a grinder with flap disc to grind the angle rather than try cutting it

[@SailingPuffin]

Ha ha it was just to show how far off it was 😂

[@fatfishchaser3803]

Tip for ya when we build the steel boats we don’t put nothing in level infact make everything slope one way that way it doesn’t look “out of level” because it deliberately is!

[@SailingPuffin]

@@fatfishchaser3803 what happens when your beer slides off the table ?

[@fatfishchaser3803]

@@SailingPuffin drink it faster