110 Cookson Lane | Whitefield, ME 04353 | 207-232-7600 | tim@lackeysailing.com
Sailmaster 131 | Deck Inspection and Comments
Before beginning, I performed a routine deck inspection with a steel hammer to help determine the structural condition of the decks and, specifically, the core. Determining the scope of potential deck repair work would be instrumental in steering the course of the entire project. There were two obvious previous repairs visible: at the forward end of the cabin trunk and across the foredeck; and the bridgedeck in the cockpit, and the usual collection of stress cracks and minor anomalies throughout.
Sounding revealed a number of areas indicative of damaged core and debonding. As I went, I marked these with green tape for visual reference, though the taped borders were not necessarily the exact demarcation of the suspect areas. "X" marks indicate small voids where the deck skin had separated from the core, but not necessarily an indication of rot or other core damage.
The most significant areas determined by these tests were as follows:
On the starboard sidedeck from the aft end of the foredeck to aft of the chainplates, including the previously-repaired area.
The port side of the previous foredeck/cabin trunk repair was questionable, and would require additional testing to determine its condition and need fore repair.
The coachroof, particularly those areas aft of the mast step, showed indications of widespread core damage, including around fastener holes left over from hardware I'd recently removed, and extending aft on either side of the companionway.
The after portion of the starboard sidedeck appeared to be in better condition than the forward section, but with a few possible void areas that would bear further inspection.
The port sidedeck featured several smaller voids and other suspect areas, but generally appeared to be in better condition than the starboard.
The port side of the poopdeck was extremely soft and mushy and would require recoring; the starboard poop deck was also somewhat damaged, but more limited in scope to those areas directly beneath the hardware.
The entire bridgedeck, and a bit aft one each cockpit seat, appeared to be in poor condition despite a previous repair to the area. From beneath, inside the boat, I found a plywood panel with voids beneath, and through bolts, all of which function I was unsure. Was this part of a previous reinforcement and repair?
Repairs to these areas--particularly the coachroof--would require additional dismantling of the woodwork, mostly around the companionway trim and cockpit coamings, and additional levels of inspection to determine the final scope of the work.
Back to the log for August 13, 2013
