Bulkheads and decks

[Phil MacFarlane]

I have an e35-2. The bulkheads are glassed to the hull. The head liner is molded fiberglass/plastic. The bulkheads just fit into a molded slot in the headliner. There are some long wood screws that go from one side of the plastic molding through the tops of the plywood bulkheads and into the other side of the plastic molding. I dont know if these screws are original or not. Can any body give me thoughts on why I should or should not glass the bulkhead and headliner/deck together. While sailing there is some movement in this area it seems that glassing together would stiffin things up. But what else it might do ?

Thanks

Phil

 

[Bill Robbins]

I replaced the same bulkhead in my old E35(1971)
I replaced because of lots of rot from leaky stay deck fitting.
I replaced the bulkhead while hauled out at Svendsons boatworks, and asked your exact question to the experts there. The concensous was that the only resone not to do it is if you had to replace the thing. Glassing it in would make it dificult to put in a new 3/4 to 1" piece of plywood.
Otherwise, the added stiffness was thought to be advantagious.
Since I was putting in a new bulkhead I decided to do it. I used west systems 105 resin and a filler mixed to thick penut butter consistancy (really thick or it drips). Buy several calking "blank" tubes. Fill the tubes one at a time with the mix, and use a standard calking gun to fill in the voids. Also tape off the areas you do not want to get messed up.
If any further questions just e-mail me.
Good luck.

 

[Phil MacFarlane]

Bill thanks very much for the reply. My boat is a 71 also. So did you "squirt" the mix in after the bulkhead was in ? Did you or Svens do anything before or as the bulklhead went in ?
Did you do this to any other bulkheads ?
I assume you were happy with the results ?

Thanks Phil