roger, roger on maple ...

Hole was drilled there because when they put it in the cradle for the winter they were a degree or two port. and at that point there is only a thin fiberglass layer. so I drilled through the deepest part of the puddle at a 45 degree angle, drained right out. I think that is the only easy place to put a hole at the maststep.

I have the original teak and holly pretty badly rotted out in the head, but what I did was pour on penetrating epoxy ... with the only objective to seal up what was left. Antiques don't have to be perfect ... in fact they tell me a lot of obvious use adds value.

But then again "they" tell me a lot of things.

I, too, had rotted teak and holly in the head area. I chiseled it all out and cleaned the area thoroughly. I found a piece of teak and holly veneer that a friend of mine had left over from a J37 floor replacement job. Took the piece, cut it to size, epoxied it top and bottom and then varnished. I then took some West G-Flex epoxy and smeared it on the floor. Put the veneer on top of it and took a bunch of long, flexible strapping board and bent them between the ceiling of the head and the veneer. Put some wider boards under the bottom of the strapping, thereby giving a broader contact service. Left the setup overnight and was as good as new in the morning. Looks great. I also have a small hole drilled directly behind the mast step to let water drain into the bilge. It can be easily cleaned out with a small phillips-head screwdriver.

I haven't drilled a hole through the hull from the bilge but I used to own a Pearson Ensign and I had that arrangement. Installed a plug with a set screw so it was easy to install and remove each year.


Bob Rude
Mmmmm
#352

so ok ... mid Jan update on drilling hole in bilge ... I expected to see an icicle but instead appears to be working drain.