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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Sole flexing

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andypavo
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/25/2010 : 12:55:19

What is under the sole of the cabin? Mine flexes when I walk on it especially about a foot forward of the companionway ladder. Is this normal? I don't see any access to this area.

Andy Ballard
1980 Hull #2122
SR/SK
"Brahma Fear"
Moultrie, GA

Edited by - on

triley
Captain

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USA
251 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2010 : 18:16:34

No answers, so I will, give you mine. I had (still have) some sole flexing on port side to about 2 feet beyond the cabin stairs. The rest of the sole is sturdy. I heard it was normal, but.... that was 10 years ago when I bought the boat. It is an SK/Sr. Ok, I admit it. I haven't done anything in the intervening 10 years but win (a few) races, and practice the C25 motto "Drink wine and sail, life may be as short as the sailing season."

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Even Chance
Captain

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USA
393 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2010 : 19:04:39

Andy, the sole of your boat is part of a liner that includes the settees and saloon walls. There's a few inches of bilge between the sole and the hull of the boat. I suspect that the spot you're complaining about (my boat does the same thing) is a part of the liner that's in between sections of the grid beneath that supports it. You can't get to that space unless you cut a hole in the sole, which I don't recommend.

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Justincase
1st Mate

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Canada
49 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2010 : 19:31:58

Andy, I had the same problem. The issue is water under the liner that has no where to drain to. Here is a picture of the holes I opened up. I had to open 5 spots as they are all isolated by stringers or the swing keel trunk. I have a bunch more pictures that I can send you if you post your email. I found 1.5-2 inches of water in each of the "compartments" I used a small bilge pump and a wet dry vac to empty it.
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/kiliki/?xjMsgID=126595
I had to cut a hole in the dinette, in the galley, in the head and 3 in the hallway.

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 04/26/2010 : 19:34:36

A few weeks ago, someone had discussed a soft deck, due to a rotting core under the non-skid.

The solution for this consisted of the concept of drilling dozens of holes in a grid-like pattern around the location of the soft core, then boring out the soft core using a bent nail in a drill, removing the sawdust, injecting the area with penetrating epoxy, and letting it cure.

If the sole is way too soft, then you might be successful in pursuing this approach. Has anybody tried this inside their boat, what's the likelihood that this would it work?

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 06:30:29

Is the cabin sole cored? I don't recall that it is. It's from one mold that includes the "furniture" and a hump to accommodate the swing keel (in all pre-'89 boats, regardless of keel), so I suspect the softness (or tendency to "oil-can" at the hump) is just the way it is.

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Even Chance
Captain

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USA
393 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 06:40:39

I agree with Dave. I've had my boat for 12 years now, and the slight flex hasn't changed in all that time. That's a whole different animal than a soft deck.

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keeldad
1st Mate

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84 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 06:59:26

I have the same problem on my '84 sk/sr. It's on the Stbd side about even with the after section of the centerboard trunk. I asked the PO about it before I bought it last year and he said that as far as he knew, it was something that was a design issue with the liner on 25 Catalinas of this era and it didn't impact the structural integrity of the boat. Since he was so anal-retentive about everything else on the boat, I took him at his word and it appears, according to this thread, that he was right. He also weighs about 100lbs less than I do, so maybe he didn't notice it as much.
Is it the opinion of the learned participants on this forum that basically this is just a design flaw and short of losing a lot of weight, it's just something I should live with or should I start planning on opening up the cabin sole to look for structural problems? It's just a minor oilcanning and as long as I am comfortable that something isn't rotting under my feet, I'm content to live with it.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 07:23:53

The right course is no action. The sole is not cored and fiberglass is quite flexible. The stringers are for hull strength and rigidity and don't really support the liner. Keeping the bilge dry is a good thing to do, but it isn't actually related to the flex issue.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 07:33:40

When I took delivery of my C25 new, I noticed the floor flexed at the foot of the companionway ladder. I asked if anything could be done about it. Someone (I believe it was the factory, since my dealer was only a few miles from the Ft. Walton Beach factory at the time) shaved a 2X4 to fit the irregular space between the hull liner and the hull, and epoxied it in place. Years later, the block popped out, and I didn't bother to reinstall it. Looking back, I don't think the flex in the floor really mattered. I wouldn't worry about the flex at the base of the companionway ladder.

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 13:48:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by keeldad
 I have the same problem on my '84 sk/sr. It's on the Stbd side about even with the after section of the centerboard trunk. I asked the PO about it before I bought it last year and he said that as far as he knew, it was something that was a design issue with the liner on 25 Catalinas of this era and it didn't impact the structural integrity of the boat. Since he was so anal-retentive about everything else on the boat, I took him at his word and it appears, according to this thread, that he was right. He also weighs about 100lbs less than I do, so maybe he didn't notice it as much.
Is it the opinion of the learned participants on this forum that basically this is just a design flaw and short of losing a lot of weight, it's just something I should live with or should I start planning on opening up the cabin sole to look for structural problems? It's just a minor oilcanning and as long as I am comfortable that something isn't rotting under my feet, I'm content to live with it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Stop worrying and go sailing! My '89 does the same thing and it hasn't caused a problem in 21 years.

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triley
Captain

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USA
251 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 18:34:05

Whew! The PO told me that it had flexed since he bought the boat, and I believed him. I am glad that everyone else has the same little flex. I was wondering whether I should losed a hundred lbs... Well, I probably should still lose 100 lbs....

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5376 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2010 : 19:55:40

Good to know the sole is not cored

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Justincase
1st Mate

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Canada
49 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2010 : 12:10:42

The cabin sole is CORED! It has flimsy 3/8 plywood under the fiberglass. I could hear the water squishing between the fiberglass and the plywood when I stepped in a few spots on the floor. Mine is an 81 so perhaps they changed it in later models. I will post a pic tonight of the cut away, but there IS plywood under the fiberglass.

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Justincase
1st Mate

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Canada
49 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2010 : 12:19:22

Here it is.

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Even Chance
Captain

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USA
393 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2010 : 12:25:53

Looking at your pic, it's 3/8 ply UNDER the fiberglass, not a core. Which actually makes it worse.

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Justincase
1st Mate

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Canada
49 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2010 : 12:26:11

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Justincase
1st Mate

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Canada
49 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2010 : 12:31:16

The scary part was finding the 1.5-2 inches of water under it. You can see the cut out floating in the first pic. I found the same ammount of water in all 5 areas. Now that they are drained, everything has dried out, looks like it is not rotten either

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2010 : 16:53:01

You guys are killing me! I spent all of the last month and a half re-bedding every stanchion,cleat, winch etc. and I now have a totally leak-less boat, Or so I thought. Now you have to come up with this? Just great, More sleepless nights.....

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2010 : 20:32:12

Scott -- I don't think your '87 is cored or has plywood but then again I could be wrong.

Justin -- Not yet anyway!

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triley
Captain

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USA
251 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2010 : 17:04:14

The 87 is not cored and has no ply wood under it. At least mine doesn't.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4024 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2010 : 14:40:24

AH Good to know, I will sleep tonight..

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