J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Stuck floorboards

I stored mast up for the first time this season, and I ran into a bit of a problem.

Mast boot leak. Lots of water, standing above the floorboards. I left the boat alone alone all fall, and I didn't discover this until winter when it had frozen and couldn't be pumped out until spring.

Now, damage to the varnish that I painstakingly applied just last season aside (I'm not bitter, really I'm not ;-) the floorboards are stuck and I can't get into the bilge. I've let the boat dry for a month, and I still can't get them out, even by inserting a metal hook into each hole and having two people haul up on it.

Any advice?

Thanks,
Ryan Pierce, #337

I had the same problem with my boat, which had been on land for over a year when I got her. Not only were the floorboards swollen, but because the had been under water for so long they were soft as well. Additionally, the table posts had been left in and would not budge. I had to pry the floorboards up using a long (12") flat head screwdriver, then work them up over the table posts. Unfortunately they came apart partially during this process, and I will probably need to replace them. I still need to cut the frozen table posts out of their holes.

Put a dehumidifier on the boat and make sure that the starting temperature is at least 70 degrees. That should free up the boards within 2 days.

Also try prying from one end rather than pulling up from the table leg holes. When my floorboards get a snug, prying from the forward end seems to work best.

Getting a dehumidifier on the boat wasn't an option, so I opted for end to end prying, since it seemed they had swollen along their width and were binding on the long sides. They started splitting apart in a couple places at the teak/holly joints; I've glued them back together and will probably sand down the long edges to get a better fit. Thanks, everyone!

Replaced my floorboards with aluminum tread plate - haven't had any problem with them sticking - and do not need to varnish them ever.

when i bought my j30 four years ago, it was a swamp. i suggest pumping the bilge and waiting ... even a long time. the teak will shrink eventually.

about the table stantions, mine are stuck too. i tried 3-in-1 oil but they still won't budge. i don't want to cut them out and i am leary about using a propane torch to heat the joint. does anyone have a suggestion to remove the table stantions?