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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Soft Cockpit floor

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AMcKenna
Deckhand

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USA
6 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/26/2013 : 02:03:28

I have a 1978 C-25 with a soft cockpit floor. Does anyone know if the floor is sandwiched with a plywood core or is it just solid fiberglass? The previous owner put 3/4" plywood under the floor(on the inside of the cabin) to support it. It works but doesn't look very nice and the braces block entrance to the port side hell hole. This spring I want to pullout his fix and fix it right. I've watched some very good youtube videos from Boatworks on replacing the fiberglass plywood core. It doesn't seem too hard just labor intensive.

If it doesn't have a plywood core, I plan on making it one. My plan is to sand the cockpit floor and about 2-3" of the sides to bare fiberglass, wet it with epoxy, lay 3/4" marine plywood down, wet it with epoxy, then lay a new floor down with mat and strand fiberglass, sand, fill, sand, repeat, then paint with some non-skid.

Has anyone done this before? Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Andy and Marijo, Cincinnati OH
Blue Moon C-25 SR/SK #737

Edited by - on

glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2013 : 05:10:23

http://members.csinet.net/dhapp/cockpit/cockpit.html

Edited by - on

AMcKenna
Deckhand

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USA
6 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2013 : 06:58:01

Thanks for the great pictures and information. This is exactly what I was looking for. I noticed you did this in 2006. How is the repair holding up and is there anything you would have done differently besides the wood flour and contamination issue? That had to be extrememly disappointing.

By the way that is a great looking work bench.

Thanks again for the post.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2013 : 07:34:25

I haven't replaced the core in a boat deck, but have seen it done, and would suggest that you replace the old plywood core material with one of the modern man-made alternatives available. I can't give you a specific product name, but I know some of our members have used them and can do so. The benefit to using them is that, if you use plywood, then it has the same vulnerability as the original plywood, i.e,., if a leak develops and it gets wet, it can deteriorate and become soft and mushy. The alternative coring material leaves you with what is, in essence, a solid fiberglass deck floor which is far more resistant to deteriorating, if a leak should develop. If someone else can't provide a specific product name, I can get it for you from my friend who did the work on his boat.

Edited by - on

AMcKenna
Deckhand

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USA
6 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2013 : 07:54:26

That's a great suggestion. I'll check back for updates.

This is a great forum/association! I'm signing up to be a member.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2013 : 08:10:19

[url="http://nida-core.com/english/"]Nida Core[/url] is one--it's a polymer honeycone material. My boat uses it for everything but the hull, although the transom is made of three layers of it, and carries a 225 hp V-6 outboard. It's light and very stiff.

Note that on the site that is linked to above, there's an extensive document on working with Nida Core. Your application should be relatively simple.

I assume your '78 has the cockpit scuppers through the sole--you might want to replace them with two through the transom, as Catalina did starting a few years later. Catalina did it with flared brass tubes, but there are plastic "through hulls" made for the purpose--some with a flat bottom on the rim where it meets the sole. I've seen them in a WM store, but haven't seen them in a catalog recently.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 01/26/2013 10:52:59

AMcKenna
Deckhand

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USA
6 Posts

Response Posted - 01/26/2013 : 16:23:54

Thanks for the suggestion, it looks like a good product for this project.

My scuppers do go through the sole. I didn't know that the newer boats were designed differently so I wasn't planning any changes to them. But now that you mention it I'm wondering if Catalina changed it for safety reasons, cost reduction, or both. I imagine the transom through haul fittings will be fairly easy to complete but removing/plugging/fiber glassing the 2 scupper holes in the bottom of the boat seems a little more involved. I haven't experienced any problems with them yet so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. If someone tells me its something that I really should do for safety reasons,then it will be done.

Thanks again.

Edited by - on

glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2013 : 06:21:07

Andy ... the web site I pointed you too is not mine; you'll have to contact the site owner regarding your questions. I was just pointing you to one solution that was in the forum archives. Good luck.

Edited by - on

cshaw
Captain

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USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2013 : 07:21:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by AMcKenna
 
I have a 1978 C-25 with a soft cockpit floor.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Andy,

Confetti is a 1976 and also has a soft cockpit sole (no surprise I guess after going on 37 years of sailing her hard!). I had initially intended on simply drilling some "vent" holes in the cockpit sole and the deck liner under the cockpit (over the quarter berth) and letting all the water drain out for a couple of months, and then simply using a product I have very successfully used many times call "Git-Rot" to our in and fill the rotted out core spaces.

I did do the drilling, and it wept water for over a month. However, when I calculated the volume of Git-Rot, and its cost, I decided I would smply remove the cockpit sole upper fiberglass by cutting like in the link that was provided, and scoop out the old stuff, and replace with well sealed (with West Marine) plywood, and then simply lay the old antiskid patterend fiberglass back down on top. Fair the edges, and paint. (I was a bit concerned about leaving such a large ring of probably rotten wood around the perimeter, so I decided I would cut out at the edge of the antiskid patteren, which I also hoped would allow the saw kerf to not show up as much)

That is still my "basic" plan for when the weather warms up, but I just ordered a sample box of the "Nida-Core" to see how well the West Epoxy would stick to it. I am also thinking of using something other than the old cockpit sole to close it back out, but I have not seen anything I like.

The reason for re-using the old cockpit sole is every time I have seen someone replace deck with something that has a different antiskid pattern or is a different material, it makes the boat no longer look like a "stock" boat (or looks obviously "rebuilt", and that is important to me since Confetti carries sail #1.

Stay in touch on your project and I will do the same!!

Chuck

Edited by - on

AMcKenna
Deckhand

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USA
6 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2013 : 17:34:42

I ordered a Nida-Core sample kit to do the same test. Let me know your results and I do the same.

I plan on keeping the original cockpit sole. It is still in good shape and I don't see a need to replace it if I don't have to.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the scuppers yet. I imagine since you have #1, you plan on keeping it original.

I plan on taking lots of pictures to share during the repair.

Good Luck with your project.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2013 : 18:17:10

Chuck, I know you'd like to keep No. 1 as close to stock as possible, but, unless you know where you can find a mold that will reproduce the stock Catalina non-skid, I'd suggest you re-core the cockpit floor and refinish it smooth, and coat it with a good, white, non-skid paint. That's the way my friend did the deck on his old Pearson, and it looks really good. I don't think most people would know whether the non skid on the cockpit floor was stock or not, if the paint color was a close match. If forced to make a hard choice, I think it's more important to keep No. 1 structurally sound than perfectly factory stock.

If you google "boat non skid paint," you'll find some products that might work for you.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2013 : 19:09:45

Chuck,

Since you're in Florida and own hull #1 why don't you contact Catalina and see if Frank would be interested in doing the work for you? Kind of a nostalgia thing!

They could even use the boat in an ad showing how Catalina stands behind their products even after "X" number of years.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 01/27/2013 : 22:16:33

From what I have heard lately Frank is not as sharp as he once was... A dockmate who sails an early Coronado, also a FB design, is the son of a close friend. Still worth a try... That been said, when I ordered carpet for my C25, they don't have the patterns anymore and sorta botched it, or I did making the template.

I would also check and see if a pro can offer a reasonable solution. What do you have to lose getting an alternative offer and maybe you learn something from that process?

Sten

Edited by - redviking on 01/27/2013 22:18:49

cshaw
Captain

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USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 01/28/2013 : 18:13:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 Chuck,

Since you're in Florida and own hull #1 why don't you contact Catalina and see if Frank would be interested in doing the work for you? Kind of a nostalgia thing!

They could even use the boat in an ad showing how Catalina stands behind their products even after "X" number of years.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Gary and Sten,

Not bad suggestions, thanks. I am already planning on contacting the engineering dept at Catalina to discuss "Hull Flex" however (in the region of the keel stub), so If I can get their help on addressing that (even just engineering support) I would be happy to add the hull stingers (if that is what is required)and also make the repairs on the cockpit sole myself. I have done fiberglass repair work (structural and cosmetic) my whole life.

I'll let the list know what I find out!!

Cheers!

Chuck

Edited by - on

cshaw
Captain

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USA
460 Posts

Response Posted - 01/28/2013 : 18:19:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Milby
 Chuck, I know you'd like to keep No. 1 as close to stock as possible, but, unless you know where you can find a mold that will reproduce the stock Catalina non-skid, I'd suggest you re-core the cockpit floor and refinish it smooth, and coat it with a good, white, non-skid paint.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hi Steve!

That is my backup plan. Several boats docked near me have used an Interlux product with the antiskid already mixed in (a very fine grit of "something". They applied it over their current antiskid and it looks perfect. I suspect having a perfectly flat surface with that finish on it would end up looking quite different than painting it over the existing antiskid pattern however.....

You can bet when I get done, the cockpit sole will be SOLID!!!!! :-)

Chuck

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