Oh no...a crack!

Just as we thought we were moving in the right direction….Escapade throws a new problem at us!

We actually did know that we had a crack. It had been picked up on the survey when we bought the boat. What we hadn’t realised (until we took out the hot water cylinder) was that it was a very long crack.

We had Fox’s Boatyard look at it, then the original surveyor and a marine architect. All agreed that it was the original fiberglass work coming away for the wood, due to the opposing forces from the mast and the rigging. Not a structural issue…thank goodness.

However it would need mending as, if allowed to spread further, it could eventually reach the chain plate which holds the rigging for the mast.

Fixing it would require grinding back the fiberglass in three different places and then re-glassing.

As with all jobs on a boat, this meant moving lots of things: one to gain access to the areas and two to stop them getting covered in fiberglass powder.

We emptied the saloon (living area), galley (kitchen) and bunk room (being used as tools and equipment store). We then covered as much as possible with plastic so Fox’s could get to work.

It was well worth the upheaval. After a week of work, we know have a beautifully repaired bulkhead.

PS we are, however, still finding fiberglass powder whenever we move anything!!