small split in hull due to pocket of water freezing inside boat

[Paul Stevens]

Hi everyone

When I went to check on the coppercoat antifouling on the hull whilst on the hard I spotted a slight hairline crack under where the hardwood mast support attached to the bulkhead joins the hull.

Doom and gloom I thought , what on earth caused it and how on earth could I repair it. After asking a surveyor to examine it and him having no idea what caused it I started thinking.

There was no indication of mast movement and compression on the deck so it is or was a puzzle. What I think now happened is that a small pocket of moisture crept into the base of the wood and froze during the very cold spell. It has blown out a small piece of the hull about the size of a small saucer and caused a slight fracture.

Does anybody know how the hard wood interfaces with the hull. Is there another block underneath it ? Its a Seaforth 1980

I’m trying to get a picture of it so as to help the guy decide how to repair it. I really don’t want to take the mast down or have him grind away inside the boat but it all depends on how it is all fixed together. I think moisture has ingressed into  the interface due to a drain tube from the anchor locker to the bilge which runs alongside. He has ground it back and drilled a few small holes on it and a fair amount of water and soft wood spilled out

Has anyone come across this before?.  I’m trying to avoid an insurance claim which I expect would rule out the rest of the season.

[Mike Hotard]

Hi Paul, it’s easier to have our discussion via text on this one. I’ve sent you a picture of Seabirds set up.

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[Linda Nixon]

If it’s what you think it is, there is no easy way of tackling this.

Our son, who is a yacht surveyor, advises: From the limited photo and description it looks as though the mast will have to come off to relieve the pressure from the compression post. The compression post will have to have to come out. The compression post support block, which is bonded to the hull, will have to be ground back to reveal the extent of the moisture damage to the wooden inner support of the compression block. This will then have to be cleaned away and dried which should reveal the view of the internal crack. This crack, both internally and externally, can then be repaired and a new wooden mast support block bonded into place. The mast support can then be re-fitted and the mast stepped once again. Again, this advice is given without doing a visual inspection and with limited knowledge of the area in question.

Chris Nixon – Technical Officer

A way of solving such a problem in the future (water ingress from the anchor locker) is to create a drainage outlet through the hull from the anchor locker.

[Paul Stevens]

Thanks Mike and Chris

I had intended to fit a drain to the anchor locker and I’m so cross with myself that I hadn’t done it earlier.

I did expect the mast to come down although hoping it wouldn’t have to.

With the information gathered I will contact the surveyor again and discuss it with him.

The problem is getting people to work on it. All the riggers are busy until late June so Ill just have to wait. I’m paying marina fees as well as yard fees so its getting expensive.

I haven’t thought about an insurance claim. Would this be something that they would consider ?

Hopefully I can at least get a month or two on the water before summer goes

Ill let you know how it goes.

Its an interesting one !

 

Thanks again

Paul

 

[Mike Hotard]

I feel your pain trying to get someone to work on it. The yard lead time on my insurance repair was 8 months during the warmest summer in years. 😕

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