How to screw through canvas deck .....

[JMAC]

How should I screw through the canvas cabin top to refasten some of the beams that have pulled away from the ply. Is there some sort of method of resealing the canvas or should I use a gooped block of wood on top of the cloth? And by the way, this redesigned site looks a bit garrish to me, does that mean I'm passing into my curmudgeon years?

[Chris Coose]

How about a screw w/ bedded washer?

[WFK]

If the beams are still basically held in tact why fasten at all? Wedge open the area as best you can, fill it full of thickened epoxy, remove the wedge, then with a stick, wedge between your beam and floor, or sole until the epoxy has had a chance to set.

[Bob Cleek]

I don't know what the previous two posts are talking about, but I would ignore them if I were you. (Sorry guys... there's a right way and a wrong way.)

First, is your cabin top really canvassed or is it glassed? If it is glassed, you could probably just drill new holes and add a few screws, plug the holes with epoxy and repaint. Let's assume, however, that it is really canvassed. If so, it is not bonded to the ply underlayment, but "floats" on top of it, properly with some Irish felt underneath.

If your beams are pulling away from the ply, or more likely, the ply is pulling away from the beams, you will have to remove the canvas and the ply and get at the top of the beams, which are very likely rotten. That is why the screws have let go. Moisture travels down the screw hole and she starts to rot.

Once you've gotten down to "bedrock," you can determine whether the beam can be salvaged with plug epoxyied into the drilled out shot screw hole, or with a dutchman, or whether you have to replace the whole beam. After you've done that, you put the ply back on (and replace it if it is shot as well), and recanvas. You can also replace the canvas with Dynel and epoxy, which is perhaps an easier fix and will last longer with much less maintenance.

You COULD cut through the canvas and just drill a hole and patch up the screw hole with some Boatlife or other polysulfide goo and paint over it, but that would be a very short term fix and while cosmetically acceptable, cannot be expected to repair the underlying problem, which is why the screws aren't holding. If you don't do the repair properly, don't expect it to last. The rot will continue to spread. It isn't forgiving!

[Donn]

Only a REAL PRICK could screw through a canvas deck!

[capt jake]

Now, Donn! You must have just come off of the Misc forum and are upset again! :D It is a valid question, that has had a couple of reasonable answers, from I can see. Go read Wild Dingo's post and chill! smile.gif

[WFK]

gmac

I'm assuming that your cabin top is 1, canvas and 2, is basically in sound condition and that this problem is in a couple isolated spots.
However,if it is canvas than there is no way I would ever fasten through. It will leak for sure, and most likely you won't know it until you have real problems. Chances are that if water is present at this point, you should see signs of it down below as well as on deck. Is the deck soft, or spongy? Is the canvas cracking? If so then it is time to bite the bullet and redo your top. Two layers of 1/4" or 3/8" marine ply with Nexus cloth and epoxy is a very good combination. It's lighter than dynel, but makes for a very resistant layer. If it's in an area where winch handles or other heavy objects will be dropped then maybe a heavier cloth would be better. Either way a second coat of epoxy is nessary for complete job.

[Donn]

Not upset at all, cap. I'm having a great day. Got to row in 50+ February degrees for the second day in a row...starting real early on my tan this year.

It was a reference to PA...started recently on the misc. forum.

I'm donnwest, and I'm a prick.

[capt jake]

Guess I will admit, what is PA? Can't find it! smile.gif
'Politically Active??'

[Donn]

cap:

It's the "David Ferch,who is he? " thread.

[JMAC]

The cabin top is canvas. I got the boat with the canvas stripped off the deck and I replaced that with Dynel/epoxy this past summer. Eventually I'll recover the cabin top, but this summer I feel that the boat has got to get in the water, I haven't sailed it yet. So I'm after a temporary but sound fix. I think it might be right and proper to dream up some sort of deck fitting that just happens to need to go on the deck where the screw needs to be. Make a wooden pad for it and bed it. Would that be underhanded?

[Chris Coose]

Gonna stick with my original idea. If a couple of screws and washers don't pull it together you can get more elaborate. You might even grind the heads down a bit
By all means, get in the water and tear it away next fall. Life and summer are too short in this neck of the woods to miss even a day of sailing.
Where do you keep her for the summer?
Chris

[JMAC]

I picked the boat up in November,2000. It's a 23' centerboard sloop, an A.R.True Rocket. Initially I plan to put it in Unity Pond,where I can really keep an eye on it and work on it conveniently. The boat will be a minute's walk from the back door. Once I've gotten to know and trust her, I want to keep her in Belfast, about 35 minutes away.

[Dale Harvey]

How about a wood handrail, thru bolted. Take a 2x4 and a hole saw. Two cuts with the holesaw make the ends of the hand slots. Layout the bosses so they fall on the beams. Split with a saw and jigsaw the waste. run a router over the non-faying edges, sand and Cetol. Looks good, and might come in handy.