Replacing a ROTTEN Bulkhead in an old Sailboat - E016

The only way to fix this ROTTEN BULKHEAD was to CUT IT OUT of this worn-out Liberty 458 restoration sailboat. Now… How am I going to get it back in?!?!
I have an interesting plan to improve the drainage of the anchor locker and also add strength and stiffness to the structure of the boat.
Let me know what you think of my plan!
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Helpful Products in this Video:
7” Flapper Disc: amzn.to/471AwZA
7” Variable Speed Angle Grinder/Polisher: amzn.to/3QKMiBI
4” Nylon Abrasive Wheel: amzn.to/471AwZA
3M Full Face Respirator: amzn.to/3QsXrWz
Fein Fiberglass Cutting Oscillating Cutter: amzn.to/3MvX7VT
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Recommended Playlists:
Watch our journey from the very beginning!
• Restoring the Antidote.
Recommended playlist for other AWESOME boat refits:
• I QUIT! … to fix up an...
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KZbin Video URL: • Replacing a ROTTEN Bul...
Video hashtags:
#livingforsail #boatwork #sailboatrefit

[@barendgarvelink]

This is excellent. I really appreciate your engineering approach, and the inclusion of your CAD work to illustrate how the design will come together. Your woodworking skills aren’t half bad either, and neither is your video editing!

[@livingforsail]

Thanks Barend! I appreciate your feedback as always. It’s always nice to know that my efforts are appreciated by some of the folks out there!! 👍🙏🙌

[@sconno67]

I also love the engineering approach. It's all about the details. I used to think everyone had "the knack" but I've realised that we are the privileged few!

[@elissasjoy]

To the viewers wondering if Jon has been this fastidious and brilliant his whole life, the answer is a resounding yes. You should have seen the BMW 2002 he refurbished with gorgeous new seats and custom speaker boxes WHEN HE WAS A TEENAGER. What on earth. You are one in a million. Love you, Brother JJ. xoxo

[@livingforsail]

Aww shucks. That was a fun car! Thanks sis! 🙏👍🙌

[@jonwrcongo]

More family bias acknowledged. ElissaJoy is right. She is a star in her field too. Pops is thankful for these two.

[@scottcates]

One of the best Beamers. Was it a tii, maybe???

[@jeanrobillard8630]

Great video! Have yourself a nice "La maudite" on my behalf... Cheers!

[@livingforsail]

Oh, you know I will!!! Haha. Thanks. And maybe a “La Fin Du Monde” to wash it down too 😉 🙏👍🙌

[@jimedson3853]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It makes the video much more interesting. Thanks 👍👍😁

[@livingforsail]

Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad to hear that people like the details!! 🙏🤣🙌

[@YouCampICampWeCamp]

Good idea to drain the water at this way...👍 Greetings from Hamburg Germany

[@livingforsail]

Thank you! I’ve had some great days in Deutschland. I have not visited Hamburg yet (mostly travelled between Köln and München) Thanks for tuning in! Prost 🙏👍🙌🍻

[@pauld9530]

I think that is a great idea piping it in.

[@livingforsail]

Yeah, I think it’ll work. Thanks! 🙏🙌

[@denislamadeleine1181]

Another great video. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate the educational value of your series. Your explanations of everything you are doing are nothing less than perfection. Doing such an excellent job in this refit should give you full confidence in this Liberty sailboat. Keep up the great work.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you very much! Your support and encouragement means a lot to me and I’m glad to hear that you are enjoying the content! Cheers!! 👍🙏🙌

[@ghostflier520]

Looking great, a lot of work (who am I telling) and looking great.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you! Haha. Yep… I have my hands full here! 👍🙏

[@silvanocometta9760]

Your contraption looks good. However, I would prefer a hole on each side into the hull in the forepeak just above the waterline. This avoids water to go into the bilge. The dryer the bilge, the better.

[@livingforsail]

That’s my plan B if I don’t like how this works. Easier to add a raised floor into holes after the fact them to go backwards from that. This will drain to a shower sump and then overboard. I agree. Nothing in the bilge please 😉 👍👍🙌🙌

[@bdphourde]

Yeah, I might have thought of that in my next life. But lucky me, I found your channel and "I thought of it" just as you were explaining it! What a coincidence! Thanks,! Why do I feel I'm about to get even smarter with time.?

[@livingforsail]

Haha. 😂. Happy to help! Cheers!! 🙏🙌

[@PT_9407]

I want to do this. Just don't know how. You are lucky you have the education and skill to get this done. Looks rewarding.

[@livingforsail]

Maybe once I’m done you’ll have seen enough to give it a shot. It’s not too difficult but is quite labor intensive. Cheers! 🙌🙌👍👍

[@choimdachoim9491]

I'm getting great benefit from your education and knowledge, watching how you think and work. I'm grateful to learn about water content before using epoxy on wood. I needed to know that as I replace the transom on my boat.

[@livingforsail]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback. 🙏 Yes, I am definitely of the mind that you want to make sure the water co tent of the wood is healthy before sealing it in with epoxy! Good luck with your project! 👍🙌

[@fisheater844]

I would make the chain base removable, just tab the edges . This is to easily be able to clean below if needed.

[@livingforsail]

That was the plan. Thanks! 🙏 I might try something a little different in a future video. We will see…

[@jackdbur]

You can get drywall sanders with multi speed and built-in vacuum system. You can get fiberglass industrial catwalk grating that would work well for your grate.

[@livingforsail]

Thanks for the tips. I’ll look into the grating!

[@Santos-oc2no]

awesome project, great skills and quality videos!!! thanks for sharing! greetings from Spain!

[@livingforsail]

Thank you! It amazes me to have people from all around the world tuning in. I’ve not yet been to Spain but it’s on my list!! 🙏👍🙌

[@user-iz9oo6fw5k]

As the drain in your bulkhead will be slightly above the very bottom of the chain locker consider gel coating the very bottom ‘v’ to make it easy to sponge out and to protect the fibreglass

[@livingforsail]

Hi. Thanks for the heads up! I think when it’s all said and done there should not be any standing water in the anchor locker. See what I mean here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHmZqKqoZ7aSrqM

[@ronkompify]

Sanding gelcoat/fiberglass - DeWalt 5 inch variable rotary sander - DWE6401DS. It's way better than a grinder, it's lighter, great speed control with trigger, better ergonomics, does well on contours.

[@livingforsail]

It looks like my 6” Bosch sander but with a different grip orientation. I’d be interested to try it… thanks for the tip! 🙏👍

[@marcushatch5863]

Anything to manage moisture is wirth doing. Class the only side so there is no puddle. 👍

[@livingforsail]

Yep, that’s the plan. Cheers! 👍

[@davidnichols147]

John, extremely informative episode fitting the new chain locker bulkhead. The added strength was obviously apparent and the drain scupper came out perfect. Thanks for sharing, love your approach.

[@livingforsail]

Thanks 🙏. It’s coming together nicely. I appreciate you following along. 👍🙌

[@jvodan]

Over the years I have watched a fair few refits on you tube While Magic carpet is the gold standard, I find your channel fascinating. Watching an engineering mind approach tasks for the time is extremely informative. Aladino with all his skills and attention to detail can at times skip describing some of the logic. Cursed with the need to understand something to learn it, for me you are a great remote tutor. I am also jealous of your workshop, but then again I reckon Aladino is too, especially now they have moved

[@livingforsail]

I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying my approach to the refit channel. I’m obviously a big fan of Sailing magic carpet and have had the pleasure of chatting with both of them about different aspects of the refit. Unfortunately Aladino has recently needed to downgrade the workshop but I’m confident that it will do nothing to slow down or limit their progress!! I am flattered with the comparison. 🙏👍🙌

[@robertgold2643]

Learned a ton, thank you 👍

[@livingforsail]

Great! Thanks for letting me know. Cheers! 🙏👍

[@user-sf2jg5ms2c]

Been enjoying your videos, presentation quality and workmanship are great. I love seeing the engineer come out with the dial indicator. However, more plywood in a wet environment that will see a lot of abrasive abuse? I would have gone with glass laminated foam, possibly using stringers for more strength. Using different weights and types of cloth you can get all the strength you need, especially at the deck joint dealing with the inner forestay attachment. I also think it a mistake to let anchor scuz to get into the bilge. An automatic positive displacement bilge pump works well. The positive displacement pump can pass small solids, mud, shells, that sort of thing. BTW, we looked at a 458 in Seattle in the mid 90’s, impressive interior. It came down to an FD-12 and a LaFitte 44. We chose the LaFitte, it needed tlc and we could afford it. I am with you on the perfectionism. Don’t let it drag you out into the weeds, but don’t let go of it either. You don’t want to be looking at something at anchor a few years from now thinking if only…..

[@livingforsail]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback. 🙏. I think we deal with some of the points there in a following video. I appreciate the input. We also looked at a Lafitte 44. Beautiful boat. My wife wasn’t fond of the aft stateroom layout and the “dual companionway”. It’s an interesting Perry design for sure. Cheers. 🙌👍

[@TheCorsair]

Definitely need to build up the bottom of the anchor locker so water doesn’t collect below the drain.

[@livingforsail]

Yep. 100% agree... I didn't really do a great job of explaining that on the first go around. Haha...

[@johnharrison9317]

Brilliant production. The quality of your work interspersed with your graphical renditions is wonderful.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you for the feedback. I’m happy to hear that people are enjoying the work I’m putting forward. It’s encouraging… thanks again. 👍🙏🙌

[@Gone2TxInspect]

they make a dust collector attachment for angle grinders. haven't tried them.

[@livingforsail]

I have a few. They’re not compatible with all discs due to different height offsets… I used one a few episodes back with a diamond grinder wheel. 👍

[@DuriasFamily]

You’re rad, man. The amount of work you’re putting into Antidote and video production blows my mind. Inspirational!

[@livingforsail]

Thanks so much Josh! 🙏👍🙌

[@jonwrcongo]

Josh, “inspirational” was the word my anesthesiologist used to describe this video before I went in to surgery yesterday. It’s a story for another time.

[@4englishlies875]

Jon you are making me wish I was 30 yrs younger and still had a back that would allow me to this. You are doing a great job so far, keep up the great work!!

[@livingforsail]

Thank you very much! I’m glad to have you along for the journey. Cheers!! 🙏👍🙌

[@owenwanamaker6208]

Home Depot has a shop vac attachment called a dust buster that you put on a 5 gallon bucket I have one that I use for all my sanding projects It has been a game changer in my shop I bet it would be the same in your project.

[@owenwanamaker6208]

haha I see you have a vac in your shop. I spoke to soon.

[@livingforsail]

Yep! I use a separator too that really extends the life of the dust bags! Thanks for looking out for me though!! Cheers. 👍🙏🙌

[@nutsandbolts432]

Great video. Editing an animations are looking great. So, you’re draining the anchor locker into the bilge. I always figured the forward most bulkhead should be water tight for safety. You could put a bilge pump down there covered by the grate you want to make. Then route a hose from the bulkhead to a sump where your main bilge pump is. I know it seems like an extra layer of complexity, but if something were to breach the forward part of your hull, like a log, then the boat could remain afloat by letting the forward compartment flood and turning that anchor bilge pump off. Adding a sea cock to that thru hull fitting might not be a bad idea either.

[@livingforsail]

I’ve thought about this too and may still try to add that safety system. The design specs for a water tight bulkhead add some extra complexity to be able to hold back the pressure that water would cause. I’d also need to get a door figured out that would seal. I’m afraid an off the shelf door would be $$$$$… So, I like the idea and may still run with it. Thanks!!! 🙏👍🙌

[@robertscholz4486]

Hey Jon ... I guess that the solution for the drain will work, but I'm surprised that you didn't seal the anchor locker drain off from the main bilge. Salt water and drippings from the anchor chain can get pretty gamey. I think that I might have went with a sealed chain locker with an automatic bilge pump that discharges above the water line with a watertight hatchway for maintenance access to the bilge pump. Nothing worse than having a clean boat with that funky smell emanating from the bilge. I do like the idea for the "grate" at the bottom of the locker to separate the chain from the drain area -- I'm guessing you will use G-11 for the strength to hold up to the weight of the chain?

[@livingforsail]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback! 🙏👍. The plan is to run this hose to an isolated shower sump with dedicated pump and overboard (not mixed with bilge water). I didn’t really explain that detail yet so good catch! Yes, the grate will need to be pretty strong. I might have a piece of g10 laying around that is enough or I will laminate a big thick piece here with my vacuum pump. Cheers! 🙌👍

[@_r_ma_]

Perry design: .75 x 12 = Ix 104 in^4 Your design: 1.5 x 9 = Ix 91 in^4 Unless you use a stiffer plywood, you won't get the designed stiffness with the shape you want.

[@livingforsail]

The Perry spec is 108… so even further apart. The boat was built with 0.75x6” = 14 in^4 and most of these boats have been around the world so I’m pretty comfy with the spec. I may still add another layer forward of the bulkhead which would exceed what Bob recommended. I could also choose to wrap the top in a few extra layers of glass … at any rate, we will get something that will work better than when new. 👍🙌

[@BarkTheAlliedGiant]

Beautiful! Aladino and Mads would be proud!

[@livingforsail]

Thank you! 🙏 I’m humbled by the comparison!

[@jimscheltens2647]

Sometimes I find a coarse set hand plane works quicker than a power sander when stripping paint. Thought of that when you were stripping paint from the support beams. Hope you are thinking of allowing lots of elevation for anchor chain stacking. It would be a pain to have to crawl forward to knock down the chain stack each time you have to pull in a lot of rode (been there, done that).

[@jimscheltens2647]

KZbin SV Panope video #143 covers anchor chain stacking or piling.

[@livingforsail]

I very nearly grabbed the power plane for this job. Haha. I probably will next time. The anchor locker is very deep so I do t think I’ll have an issue with the chain stack. I’ll do a test to confirm. 🙏👍

[@2299jsimon]

I used a sand blaster. I was very fast.

[@livingforsail]

Yeah, that would do the trick! 🙌🙌

[@michaelkante490]

a lot of skills that complement each other wonderfully. GOOD Job.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you sir! 🙏👍🙌

[@mattmcg3760]

I've really looked forward to this episode. Your working method, and the education around best practise is commendable. Love your uploads, and can't wait for the next!

[@livingforsail]

Hi. Thank you for that feedback! See you soon with another installment!! 👍🙏🙌

[@waughthogwaugh3078]

I love watching your vids. YT have absolutely riddled it with advertising so I hope you are earning a FORTUNE off ad revenue. You have a practiced knack for coming up with great solutions. Keep em coming.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you! 🙏 I’m glad that you’re enjoying the videos! I’m sad to hear that KZbin pushes so many ads… especially because even my best performing videos pay me about $2/hr just for my editing time… so no…. Not making a fortune here… 😉. I am planning to make releases available earlier, and ad free to Patrons as I get more efficient with the filming/editing process.

[@stephencole958]

Nice job, your attention to detail is really going to pay off in the long run.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you! I appreciate that. 🙏👍🙌

[@torstenhansen4308]

Jon, you are outdoing yourself - keep it up and you will have secured a place in the youtube DIY boat refitters hall of fame😊. I put a layer of 1708 on both sides of the plywood when I replaced the chain locker bulkhead on our Norseman, partly to protect the plywood and partly to give it extra strength to carry the load from the staysail. That said, I will still connect the staysail fitting down to the bow. Thank you for the tip with the polisher, it’s brilliant.

[@livingforsail]

Thanks Torsten. I’m looking forward to seeing more updates on your refit. I visited another Liberty recently that had an extra stainless strap that connected the bulkhead top and bottom (it would make the opening difficult to use but add a LOT of strength when the staysail is deployed) I’m thinking about that too… Cheers! 🙏👍🙌

[@torstenhansen4308]

@@livingforsailYes, adding a strap as you describe it would ruin your access and the angle would be all wrong for supporting the staysail stay. Extending it in line with the stay is a much better option but probably won’t work for you since you have a pile of chain to deal with.

[@scottcates]

Next time: Maybe try using a 45-degree chamfer bit in a trim router for the thruhull countersink?

[@livingforsail]

Yeah, that would have been a good idea 🤦‍♂️. Haha! Thanks ! 🙏

[@scottcates]

Chamfers -- the one thing that separates us from animals!@@livingforsail

[@scottcates]

It's the damn plywood...it gets overused on pleasurecraft. At my bottom-feeder level of understanding, plywood got used indiscriminately in places where solid wood/teak/oak would last seventy years. Even a chain locker bulkhead could be framed in teak and then covered in a replaceable plywood bulkhead but builders seemed to take the sheet-goods shortcut every time. Either that or a lack of drug-testing in the boatyards back in the 70's.

[@livingforsail]

Most boats were production boats even if they only built a few. $$$ is probably the main deciding factor and it was for me when I put Plywood BACK in even though I was tempted to upgrade...@@scottcates

[@leroysmith8203]

Love watching your videos. Great details and process. 🤓⛵️

[@livingforsail]

Right on! Thanks so much for letting me know! 👍🙏🙌

[@ericd7975]

Great viewing John. I learn something every week, whilst being entertained. Love your channel. Hope it continues to grow as it deserves to do. Cheers mate 😊

[@livingforsail]

Thank you very much. I’m glad that you’re enjoying the channel! Cheers!! 🙏👍🙌

[@jonunya3128]

love your work. just a lot of fun to see you have an idea then test it and then implement it.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you very much! I am enjoying bringing people into the thought process and am glad to hear that it’s appreciated! Cheers!! 🙏👍🙌

[@andrewmoylan6295]

G'day Jon!!!, fantastic explanation on your current bulkhead removal project.Its going to be so much better. Keep it tight and in the groove.Good stuff.

[@livingforsail]

Thanks Andrew! I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Cheers! 🙏👍🙌

[@andrewmoylan6295]

@livingforsail Coming along in leaps and bounds, Jon, I'm so stoked for you, my friend, living your dream.

[@billburkart8527]

Thank you Jon for another informative video. So glad to have found channel. 👍👍

[@livingforsail]

Right on. Glad to have you here watching along! Cheers! 🙏👍🙌

[@ralph6115]

Great video, Jon! Love your explanation, planning and execution of your work.

[@livingforsail]

Thank you so much! Glad that you enjoyed it. 🙏👍🙌

[@willardweston2002]

A router bit will cut the angle for your flush mount thru hull.

[@livingforsail]

Yeah. That would have worked too. But then again… there has to be a harder way?! For some reason they make these fittings at a 53degree angle. An off choice it seems…. Anyway, a 45 degree router bit would give as good or better a surface than what I came up with here. … 👍

[@svlamancha9877]

Great video Jon. Good call to leave the tabbing in place that made it easier to position the bulkhead. Glad your research brought up using a foam fillet at the edges of the bulkhead. This is good practice but not always done, walking around a boat yard you will see boats where this step was not carried out. If you sight down the hull you can see the bulkhead forming a ridge in the hull surface. 👍

[@livingforsail]

Thanks. I’m happy to invest the small amount of time and scrap material to complete this step. I didn’t show it in the video but there was a small amount of foam on the existing bulkhead so I figured, “let’s go with the same approach - or even better” 👍🙏🙌

[@russianbotstein1422]

I would have left the bottom of the bulkhead open for the water to drain. A simpler solution and would mean that all water drains.

[@livingforsail]

Keep on watching… 😉👍

[@pmnfernando]

this is where you would spend some money on a 6mm thick G10 sheet and use it as your bulkhead. tabbed and laminated with 17 oz biaxial its virtually undestructible and it will never, EVER, rot

[@livingforsail]

Interesting idea. I hadn’t really considered that … 🤔. I would still want to have two “sets” of bulkheads glued together to avoid a weak joint down the middle. It looks like the material is available at 10x of my current cost. Worth it? Maybe… for the reasons stated. I’ll go for that when I’m replacing the bulkhead next time in 2063. (Hopefully by then I can pay someone to do the work…). Ha. Thanks for the interesting idea! 🙏👍🙌

[@scottcates]

Between you and me, I think a solid beam at the top of the bulkhead might have been better only because that infernal plywood inevitably delaminates in a wet environment and the fo'c's'l is definitely going to get wet with sailbags and anchor rode going down there. Hindsight engineer that I am.

[@livingforsail]

I’m hoping that everything wrapped in glass and sealed with epoxy will last for some time. We will see. I’m thinking of adding some unidirectional glass over the top to give it more strength… we’ll see… 🤔

[@scottcates]

I couldn't agree more with your efforts to support plywood in a marine environment, but, in general, why do we go through all the hassle of polishing that turd when other options exist? I'm examining the problem from a robustness standpoint. I'm not arguing with your abilities and intelligence, mind you. Again, your videos and workmanship are top notch and your particular approach to showing how to fix a boat is the best I've seen over the last decade. You really have a great way to help people see processes clearly and understandably and it's way more than I can say for myself. At my particular bottom-feeder level of sailboat scrounging, I see endless examples of failed plywood that was completely avoidable if solid wood had been used during initial construction. Frame a chain locker in teak or white oak and it would survive 70+ years. Go ahead and cover that frame with a replaceable plywood bulkhead and you've got a solution that will last generations. Just my two cents. Thank you again for the supremely helpful videos -- the last time I did any fiberglass work was 1983 and I'm ready to advance my skills here.@@livingforsail

[@livingforsail]

Fair question. Why plywood... Cost was a big factor. Also availability at the time. Marine grade plywood is available within 20 minutes. 2 hr drive each way for coosa (if it's in stock). I think I can make the ply work (with a little extra polishing...). The marine ply is SUPPOSED to be made with a better adhesive than was used 30+ years ago... We will see... If I am wrong, we might just all find out together but it will probably take a few more decades at least!@@scottcates

[@scottcates]

Let me know if you need eyes on anything in Seattle.@@livingforsail

[@randyharris4610]

Nice job!!! I have a similar problem with the forward bulkhead on my Southern Cross 35. A leak at the staysail chainplate was caused by the boatyard's inadequate 5200 chalk application during a refit. Water leaked through the hole and into the plywood bulkhead. I fixed the leak, but in time, the wood dry-rotted, leaving an area of about 6" x 12" needing repair. I looked into scarfing the bulkhead and replacing only the dry-rotted area, but since the area supports the chainplate, I wonder if there is a better solution. Replacing the entire bulkhead may be a more straightforward solution. It would also solve other issues by providing access to hard-to-reach areas in the bow. Thank you for the video.

[@livingforsail]

I’m sorry to hear that you have a similar problem. I’m really glad that I took the whole thing out as it was pretty soft and delaminating in areas that I thought were not too bad. Best of luck with your repair. Thanks for watching! 🙏👍🙌

[@steveforsman]

How about taking the top tab out and sides down 9” so you can put a brace both sides of the bulkhead at the top? Tabbing that’s left should still line things up.

[@livingforsail]

Yeah, that’s a fabulous thought! I was thinking the same thing (except I hadn’t really considered removing the tabbing there - good idea). The staysail mount is pretty close to the bulkhead so it might be tight. I could probably nudge it forward a 1/2” without much worry… I’ll ask Bob what he thinks. That would, in theory, produce a stiffer cross section than the 3/4”x12” that was recommended. … 🤔 🙏👍🙏

[@steveforsman]

@@livingforsail it would balance the load on the bulkhead I think.. nice work though

[@user-km3gb1qq3g]

I love your attention to detail and the great job you do filming and explaining your work. One thought occurred to me while watching this video - why not use synthetic materials (Coosa , for instance) for the very bottom part of this bulkhead, since it will be sitting in water a good deal of the time. You could have fabricated and glassed in the drain assembly with synthetic materials, then mated the plywood bulkhead to it above the area mostly likely to see constant moisture. Just a thought. And do you intend to connect that thru-hull fitting to a hose and pump in the chamber just aft of this bulkhead? Letting it flow into the bilge can be an unwelcome surprise in a heavy seaway. Had that experience delivering a boat north up the west coast in heavy seas. Amazing how much water an anchor locker hatch or hawse pipe can ship when fully submerged every few minutes in rough weather. Your Liberty is heavy enough to plow through rather than bounce over steep swells like a lighter modern boat would. That means a more comfortable, softer ride, but the bow will see lots of deep water on a passage. And on another note, I've owned and restored two vintage American market BMW 2002's and an Italian market 1602, so I'm delighted to see you're also a gear head. I live on Bainbridge Island, not far from you.

[@livingforsail]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback. I see from your other comment that another video answered some of these questions 👍. I thought about coosa for this. It came down to cost/benefit for me at this application and I THINK I can keep it dry… making it out of coosa for just the lower half is an interesting idea that I wish I’d have thought of… Yeah, I had a 1976 2002 for my first car. It was such a great car! I miss it… If you look closely you might see an old ‘77 CB 550 cafe racer lurking in the garage… 😳 Thanks again for watching. Cheers.

[@nickviner1225]

Shampher the block with a small 45 degree router.

[@livingforsail]

Good call. 👍

[@bakey1111]

I know this goes against your one rule "how can it be made more difficult" 😂 but could you have left a gap at the bottom of the ply for water to drain and a one way valve at the back of the boat?

[@livingforsail]

Haha. Yes it does! That’s actually the original design if I’m understanding you correctly. It works fine but leaves water in the bilge frequently. I’m TRYING to create as dry a bilge as possible… we will see. Thanks for the question. 🙏👍🙌

[@scottcates]

I would have been tempted to expand the hole in the forward bulkhead more Dorito-shaped for easier sailbag access. Would that have negatively affected the bulkhead's structural integrity?

[@livingforsail]

It’s give and take there… Bob Perry recommends a round hole for maximum strength. This is a compromise that I think I can live with. The staysail chain plate mounts right above this bulkhead so I anticipate large loads at times… 🙌👍

[@scottcates]

I'm gonna bug you further -- if the dorito point faces downward, then the staysail chain plate still retains the same amount of beam support but the sail bag gets more room for stuffage when underway and wet.@@livingforsail PS: By dorito, I meant to say say a dorito that retained your existing radius for all three of its corners. PPS: I am NOT an engineer, just a regular dude here so I appreciate your insights into structural integrity. PPPS: After watching the completion of the bulkhead, I can see now how the beam/cleat wouldn't allow a deeper hole so I take it all back 🤪

[@mikegavin8899]

that was ingenious fit and thought for the drain. My on concern is : it appears the "through hull" sits high and water will still sit in the chain locker . did you glass the bottom triangle below the thru hull? your answer will help will my project

[@livingforsail]

Hi! I think if you check out the subsequent videos your question will be answered. Basically, yes, it is all glued in with thickened epoxy to prevent anywhere for the water to go and in my next video you will see that the bottom line for the through hull is in plane with the new anchor “floor”. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching! 🙏🙌👍

[@Moftoo]

Thank you for the great video, your inclusion of the planning and conceptual phases is really appreciated, in this and in previous videos. I turn to youtube to learn about tackling projects on my own boat and out of general interest and while there is no shortage of religiosity when it comes to doing things one way or another on the internet people seem to rarely outline their thought process much less show a model or test materials (the deck material test [edit: maybe it was less of a test and more of a overview of options] video was awesome!) - this is very frustrating because you'll invariably find three people doing something three different ways without any context or background and that makes it doubly hard to truly take anything away from the choices made. The bulkhead looks very nice. One question: if you wanted to could you have just sanded down the gelcoat in the forward compartment so the flaking material came off and so you abraded the remaining gelcoat and then just put fairing material over all of it and then paint it? I wondered it there was some chemical bond issue there or if you just felt that it would be easier/cheaper/ultimately better to put in the elbow grease and get every bit of gelcoat off?

[@livingforsail]

Thank you very much for your feedback. I appreciate hearing from people what’s helpful out there so I’ll probably stick with my format 👍. For the gelcoat, with so much of it obviously failing and flaking it made me suspicious of all of it. If it wasn’t flaking I would have just done a light sand and then put down a new layer of something compatible. Fairing compound would be a nice addition to improve the aesthetic. 👍🙏🙌

[@TeoMarevic]

Looks very good! :) will you be adding watertight door on it?

[@livingforsail]

I’m considering it. The bulkhead is just barely behind the bow at the waterline so I’m not sure if it would be appropriate. If I recall from some reading I did, a watertight crash bulkhead should be 10-25% of the waterline length aft of the bow…

[@marcanderson1073]

Your engineering and work are first class. Boats being boats do you have any way to ensure water does not get below your small false floor at the bulkhead drain?

[@livingforsail]

Thank you! 🙏 I will have foam under there and glass everything together so (in theory at least…) there would be no where for water to go. 👍🙌

[@dan2304]

Explain why use plywood instead of foam core fibre glass.

[@livingforsail]

Just easier in this case… foam/fiberglass would also work. The fiberglass on this bulkhead will just be to protect and seal from moisture . On a foam panel I would need to use a couple layers to make sure it was sufficiently stiff/strong. Either way would work.

[@philpaige9770]

Do you plan on having a bow thruster installed? great video. do not let the furry critters get in there.

[@livingforsail]

I do actually and we will be looking at that in the next few months. So far nothing furry in here. (You can’t see me knocking on wood as I write this…) 🤞👍👍

[@TheBienFamily]

Nice video. I had the flaking gel coat in my anchor locker as well. Therapeutic to see you remove it! How does the underlying fiberglass look, in good shape? Curious how you plan to finish out the hull sides once the new bulkhead is in.

[@livingforsail]

Thanks Dan! The glass under the gel coat looks good. I haven’t fully committed to the materials to Finish out the interior of the hull. I think gelcoat is a bit more durable but I’d need to switch to poly or VE resin to put all these bits back in… which I still might do… 🙏👍🙌

[@forgetn]

I am wondering why use marine grade plywood since all the wood will be covered with epoxy anyway. BTW your woodworking skills may not be at the level of Aladino…but they’re not far removed. I agree that making this part of the vessel as strong as possible and a a very good idea, and it is evident that the hull integrity was very compromised before Great job and excellent editing!

[@livingforsail]

Thank you. I am ok with being compared to Aladino (even if below his skill level 😉… I take no issue with that… I’ve seen his work with my own eyes and he is a master). The extra cost to use marine ply in this case was less than $75 and since the marine rated ply is better quality in many regards the extra cost is a rounding error for me. 👍🙏🙌

[@markbuskens6070]

Because it will eventually come apart or rot.It’s going to get some moisture soon or later.Put some outside and see what happens,it curls up and comes all to pieces.exterior plywood is a lot better but not worth saving a little money.Marine plywood is best

[@ihcubed]

Why did you decide to go with an osb vs marine grade plywood for the bulkhead material?

[@livingforsail]

Not sure what you mean… we are installing a marine grade plywood and it will be fully wrapped and sealed with epoxy. 👍

[@garryundy1777]

I understand the reasoning behind the through hull fitting but my experience is water never reasons and you'll end up with water sitting in the bottom rotting out the material, Let's hope I'm wrong! another great Vlog.

[@livingforsail]

I didn’t really convey my full plan too well and will clarify next video. I’m pretty confident that I can build a floor to mate to the edge of the fitting that will be sealed and prevent water intrusion… but… boats are devious… as is water… we will see 👍🙏🙌

[@drewmurray7102]

Can I ask? why didn't you use coosa board for the bulkhead ? It would reduce the weight in the bow.

[@livingforsail]

Of course! Cost is the main reason. I like coosa but I am pretty confident that I can protect the bulkhead from water intrusion easier than the deck core so I’m comfortable with ply here. If money was no object I would use coosa (it was an extra $500 in this case - plus shipping) marine ply I can buy 20 minutes down the road. 👍

[@Joelseph42]

Hi, I just wanted to say I like your videos and you are very informative. I have one question though. What does the thickened epoxy do that the epoxy doesn't? I noticed you wetted the area down and then applied thickened epoxy and you even left space on the rabbit joint. Have I been doing it all wrong by clamping things down tight with just epoxy?

[@livingforsail]

Hi. Thanks for saying hi. 🙏 Thickened epoxy will gap fill and stay in place better. You’ll get a better bond overall in some cases but if the tolerances are good you are probably fine with regular epoxy too.

[@Joelseph42]

Thank you, I'll be following along on your journey. Keep up the awesome videos!

[@TheMikesylv]

Use flap disks

[@livingforsail]

👍

[@haydenwatson7987]

I was rewatching your interview with Bob Perry yesterday. [Excellent discussion with a great designer for those who have not seen it.] One of the things you discussed was using a bilge pump to drain the water out of the anchor locker which I would agree is far better than draining to the bilge. kzbin.infogaming/emoji/7ff574f2/emoji_u1f922.png Are you planning to put some type of sump with a pump under the v-berth? When you first started talking about the bulkhead fitting, I thought that another solution would have been to make a bilge pump standpipe that is capped off at the base of the sail locker and extends down through the chain locker floor to the bottom of your bow locker sump. It would be made from 4"ø ABS pipe and I would mount the pump on a rod that allowed it to be lowered into the sump and removed for cleaning and servicing. A remote "shower sump box" type of installation is probably just as good as long as you have the room for it and it is tightly sealed. Is your plan to have the anchor locker below a sail locker with a spurling pipe through the sail locker? If so, will you have a hatch that you can open to gain access to the chain pile. It is very common for the chain to pile steeply and need to be pulled down to get enough chain into the locker. It is also common for the chain to get knotted up in the locker which required manual manipulation to free it so that it will go back up the spurling pipe.

[@livingforsail]

Some great points here! Yes, I’m planning to drain into a shower sump. I don’t want anything in the bilge. I’ll explain more in the next video. Your thoughts on the chain are also good. There is a 4” PVC pipe that was used to direct the chain previously that you might see hanging around in some of the clips. I will try to reuse this or go with something similar. The locker is pretty steep and deep so I’m hoping I can avoid too much chain wrestling if I place everything well. 🙏👍🙌

[@haydenwatson7987]

@@livingforsail The biggest problem I think you might have is getting the chain pile tangled. Even if you can get enough chain into the locker, once you go sailing, the pile will fall over, and I have seen other boater end up with tangles that will not come out without assistance. If you have no way to get to the actual pile there would be no way to clear the chain if it decides to tie itself into a knot.

[@jonwrcongo]

With the drain being somewhat elevated. Does this mean there will always be some water contained in that locker? Genius on the steps to get that sloped drain machined. Well done.

[@barendgarvelink]

At 14:55 the elevated drain is addressed. I had the exact same thought during the lead-up to that, but Jon was way ahead of us both.

[@livingforsail]

Yeah, Barend has it. The first triangular floor in the model is tipped back to direct water to the drain. It will be foamed underneath and glassed to the hull creating a new elevated and sloped “bottom”. 👍

[@mikenagy938]

All i can say Jon, is that i hope you didn't spend much for that boat. I bought a boat to go sailing, not spend months and months tearing it apart.

[@livingforsail]

Months and months? Yeah, I wish… years and years. 😂 I enjoy projects and this is what I WANT to be doing 😉 🙌👍