J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment FYI, delaminating wood, rear of Engine Box (Older Cabin layout)

Interesting. On my '84 vintage new layout, the support frame sits directly over the front of the engine (roughly 6" back from the companionway).

But I noticed one day as we pounded up lovely Delaware Bay in a short steep chop, that the connection between the "mini" bulkhead and the underside of the cockpit had no fasteners (and appears to have always been that way). As we pounded through the waves, I could watch the bulkhead work about 1/2 to 3/4 inch vertically. It struck me that if the connection had been rigid, the screws probably would have shredded the bulkhead and allowed any incoming water to get into the plywood under those conditions.

As it is, the bulkhead appears sound, even if the boat around it is a bit bendy.