Fore-deck removal stage 2

29^th February 2016

This weekend (and last) has seen the fore-deck removed from the Samson post to the main cabin bulkhead. There is one part at the very bow which I have not done as to get to it requires removal of the bowsprit and all fixings.  It will come off later.

This has confirmed, as we had expected, that twelve of the eighteen need to be replaced through wet rot.  The outer edge of each had rotted through where they are fixed to the inside glassfibre ledge/shelf which runs around the entire yacht.   I was hoping to be able to use parts of the longer ones to replace the shorter ones but only a handful are usable and I am more interested in aesthetics than cost.  I want all the beams to look the same.

That said the beams forward of the fore cabin bulkhead appear to be in reasonable condition so I may be able to save some work.  They don’t get seen by anyone/thing except the sails in the sail locker so aesthetics don’t matter so much.

The plywood deck was in a terrible state with the wood so soft I could put my finger through it.  The trouble was that the fake teak decking had come away long ago and was flapping around in the breeze.  It was allowing water through and the melamine sheet headlining was preventing it escaping.  A recipe for disaster.  Hardly any of the deck was dry or free from rot.

I have measured each beam and created a plan of the layout.  I have taken beam number 3 out to use as a template and will be laminating new beams over the coming weeks.