Refinishing sole

[crieders]

So I took this week off to work on the boat and its too cold to do anything. I removed the sole and brought it home to sand out the stains and discoloration. I used a 120 grit like it said on the interlux can of Goldspar Satin and the color (is it stain?) started to come out of the wood. Its only thin plywood, of course. I just wonder what IS the correct way to refinish the sole and where to replace it in the places where the wood has rotted or deteriorated too far to save the piece. Do the sanded pieces need to be restained? Should the sanded wood be washed with peroxide? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Due to the thin laminated nature of the "teak and holly" sole, it's recommended that you use a stripper to remove the old varnish/finish and then follow-up any cleaning or sanding required.  Use caution when sanding to avoid sanding through the thin veneer.  Dings or gouges in the wood may be repaired with any suitable hard putty or thickened epoxy.  Older plywood soles weren't finished on the back or sides, allowing water to wick into the wood.  If your pieces are still in reasonable shape, you should consider epoxy sealing with CDPE (clear deep penetrating epoxy) or varnishing all sides of the wood to seal it up.  CDPE is also handy for fixing areas where the wood has deteriorated.  www.rotdoctor.com has plenty of information concerning its use. 

If you have to replace any of the wood, you can obtain teak and holly plywood for several sources.  The trick will be to match the lines throughout the different pieces of the sole--it's a bit of a puzzle to obtain the most sole from a single 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood!  If you go this route (replacement with plywood), your best bet is to remove the entire sole and lay it out on the 4 x 8 sheet to minimize waste.  The laminate over the center bilge is thicker plywood (although the teak and holly portion is still very thin). 

When re-finishing, almost any varnish will do.  Finish, gloss or satin is a matter of personal preference.  There are several products available that are non-skid which improve footing underway. 

There are also several different composite products available that replace the plywood that provide a durable, low-maintenance sole.  Most new production boats are fitted with these materials.  New production 34's and some older boats have also been fitted with a rubber industrial non-skid sole in the area immediately at the base of the companionway/galley since this is a high-traffic area that's often wet.  A search might reveal the dimensions,  material and sources that folks have used. 

If you are considering replacement, it's worth a call to Catalina to see what you can obtain from the factory.  You might also take a look at the Catalina 36 web site projects as someone had a few pictures and a brief article about replacing the sole.

Cheers,

Mike 

[crieders]

Thanks very much. The one question, is whether after sanding, the sole should be restained?. Only one piece has a bit of rot on the corner and I was  going to infuse that with wood cement.

[Jeff Kaplan]

cliff, 2 years ago i replaced the sole on #219. before you apply 3 coats of poly, apply a coat of 50/50 varnish, mineral spirits and then 2 more coats of straight varnish. the color will be restored and the teak/holly will be protected. then apply 2 or 3 coats of poly. also, do not forget to do the sides and if the bottom was not finished, do it also, this is very important. once done, it will look brand new. i put a runner,rug, on the long piece in the cabin and a small rug at the bottom of the ladder in front of the sink. this will provide additional protection for all the work you have done. good luck...jeff

[Ron Hill]

Cliff : Don't forget to seal the cut edges and the underside of that plywood T/H sole.  That will keep it from delaninating.   

[crieders]

Jeff, would you use the polyurethane instead of the interlux satin? Thanks for all the suggestions

[Jeff Kaplan]

cliff, i first used spar varnish, followed by 3 coats of poly, satin finish. make sure you get a poly with some uv protection, i used helmsman brand with great results...jeff

[Jeff Kaplan]

cliff, in my last post i mentioned that i used a satin finish. if memory stands, i think i used a semi-gloss finish, your choice. remember to cut your 1st coat of varnish 50/50, then reg. for the rest...jeff