Center Bulkhead Repair

2ndchance

2ndchance

Junior Member
Since the weather finally decided to fair off I thought I'd take a few days off work to get some projects done that have to be completed before I remount the engine. #1 is the center bulkhead that is foward of the fuel tank. I thought I'd save some bucks and fix this one myself. I knew before I sent the boat for the transom and aft stringers that this would have to be done.
Step one was to cut off the skin to reveal the ugliness
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Can you say DELAMINATION
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Step 2 was to clean the old crap out. Sorry no pics of that. Step 3 was to cut the plywood in sections so I could slide (or should I say drive, it was a snug fit) the new wood into place. I made a putty from epoxy and all parts were epoxied an screwed into place from the front to insure the old skin and epoxy were tight to each other.
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Step 4 was to butter up the entire back side with epoxy and replace the skin that I removed in Step 1 using screws
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Tommorow I'm going to grind off any extra epoxy paste and put 2 layers of glass over the seem. I am thinking about getting a peice of PVC pipe just large enough for the drain hole and sealing it into place so no water can get to the wood even if it is totally covered with the epoxy that I used.
 
look'n good! I'm glad to see your practicing.... I'll have plenty of fiberglassing to do here once your done there ;D ;)
 
I still have to figure out what I'm going to do about a cradle. :'( Don't worry, ya got plenty of time...so keep practicing! ;D ;D
 
2nd chance...WOW!!...whadda GREAT job and pix to go along...have ya figured out how the water got into the bulkhead in the 1st place??... ;) ...
 
I beleive it was partially a design flaw and lack of care by the previous owner. I think that 2 1/2" hole allowed water to get up next to the plywood when the boat was laid up and not tended to. I also suspect that the poor deck drains and the foamed fuel tank that had 2 little schedule PVC pipes under it had something to do with it.
I'm going to fix the drain hole and overall drainage problems. Water belongs on the outside not the inside. I would suggest that everyone take a look at how their boats drain and if it is slow fix it.
 
2NDCHANCE, what year is your V, I dont have what you have in my 86 V. I have a storage space between my seats, thats it. I dont have that smaller storage area that you have as well.

Great work !! ;) and problems call 1-800-SKOOL ;D
 
Hammer, it's a 1980. From what I have seen on this site Wellcraft set these boats up many different ways which I think is a testimate to the hulls versatility. The fuel tank was mounted about 18" back from that bulkhead and I am going to move it foward to the bulk head that I repaired. I figure that I moved the engine back 18" so I can off set that a little by moving the fuel tank foward. Foward of the small opening is wide open so later this year I will install a new hatch so I can use that space.
 
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