Fiberglass repair - What did P/O do?

[Ben H.]

Hi Everyone,

I've noticed some holes the P/O had made into the interior fiberglass panels. I'm not sure the motivation behind them, but wanted to hear your thoughts on repairing/filling them back in. Some look like they were made to put insulation around the icebox. Others to just make space? Help is appreciated and photos below.

Areas shown. Around icebox including behind stove and "hanging" locker in quarter berth. Are the holes in the V berth normal?

[Ben H.]

More pictures - wear under emergency tiller cap.

[KWKloeber]

Here's the V storage areas I added to my 30 (in the works.)

kk

[Ben H.]

Ken. How did you make those? How do your doors attach?

[britinusa]

is that first pic of the Forward side of the galley counter in front of the fridge (ie. on the back of the seat with the cushions removed?)

In our 87 C34 we do not have that hole. But I can see how it might have been used to add insulation. My PO squirted a couple of cans of FOAM in and around the fridge freezer, it's really well insulated! He managed to do it from beneath the freezer without cutting extra holes.

One pic at a time.

The second pic looks like the bottom of the cooker, same thing - cut out to add insulation.

Several choices to repair, but simple might get you sailing quicker. Just make up a fiberglass panel that is thin enough to bend to shape and glue it in place, paint the area.

Paul

Paul

[Ben H.]

First pic = yes. That is where the seat back would be. Looks like some insulation stuck in there to me.
Second pic = 180 degree opposite, under/behind stove. Left side is the icebox wall. Circle holes are the curve against the starboard hull.

[Ken Juul]

The ones that are round may have been for a/c duct work that never got installed.  If they aren't visible standing in the normal living spaces, wouldn't worry about them.

[Ben H.]

The ones that are round may have been for a/c duct work that never got installed.  If they aren't visible standing in the normal living spaces, wouldn't worry about them.

I can see spray foam inside so I think P/O was trying to insulate more. I can't see, but Mr. Type A, aka me knows its there....

How can one repair these openings? and make it look good?

[Noah]

No easy repair. "Proper" way would be fiberglass and gelcoat which would be a pain, and still probably have color match issues. I would recommend covering with someting--plywood veneer or formica panel???

[Stu Jackson]

Ben,

Sure got chopped up.  The good news is that none of it seems to be structural.

Photo 1 - You could either cover this, put trim around the edges (like the outboard storage cubbies - you can get this trim from Catalina Direct) or simply ignore it since it's hidden by the seat cushion.  One of our skippers did this:  http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Sink_Access  You could trim the size to fit a hatch in there, but I would think any $$ is better spent on other things.

Photo 2 - I agree with Ken Juul, who'll see it?  We use that area for storage.

Photo 3 - Since you have a fridge, you could remove the foot pump and the hoses and cap the box drain line to keep the cold air in.

Photo 4 - The boats came with a mirrored door in that location.  You could try to find one or just get a louvered door to cover the compressor/condenser unit.  Teak source:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,7879.0.html  I wouldn't worry about the rest of the holes or cut out sections that expose the inside of the hull.  If there's a door there, you won't see 'em, right?

Photo 5 - V berth.  There are many pictures of what skippers have done up there.  At least the idiot PO put some trim on the edges.  When the filler is in you won't see the middle one, although you will when sitting on the port settee.  Ken K's work on his boat is impressive.  It appears they may be drawers, not doors.  Given you now know where to get teak, your boat, your choice. 

Photo 6 - Rudder cap - Ron Hill has written about this so many times, all I have to do is find an example.  What you're looking for is a sheet of a certain type of plastic to go below the tiller head.  I'll try to find it for you.

Photo 7 - Bilge - actually a good idea, and it looks like my boat.  It's big enough to have a bilge pump hose go through and still allow water from the aft section to get to the middle section where the pump is.

I agree with others that what you're seeing is more cosmetic than anything, and that given your other issues, you have some priorities to sort out.  Getting the boat moving and sailing should be #1,(good news on your sails  )and leave these until you get more comfortable and knowledgeable about the boat and your options as well as getting more familiar with some of the stuff we've been recording on this website for a long, long time.  Sorry your PO was such a butcher, he should be shot at dawn.   

[KWKloeber]

Stu,

TY!

Port side aft is a tall door with drawer above.

Center above vee water tank is a drawer.

Bottom center, stock C-30 access door to tank shut off.

Stbd, too shallow for drawers, so just a matching tall door opposite the port one.

I did the stbd door and center drawer first, then some 10 years later added the port door and drawer. The port drawer and drawer is one frame (door/drawer frames milled/fitted, doweled, epoxied together).  I did that because of the very close fit and available vertical space below the berth and how it worked out with stock unit sizes (from H&L).

I needed to do all this to counter balance all the weight/crap, I mean necessities, in the lazarette and Q berth and to  even out the reverse low rider look. Of course I had to raise my boot stipe 12"

On limber holes - I drilled them between every darn compartment that I could - a couple were right at and parallel to the hull (measure 10x, drill 1x).

kk