Ericson 38 Sole Repair

[Christian Williams]

Jay asks:

I have a soft sole in the head area of my 38. The wood in front of the toilet itself is soft and wet- seems the head is leaking water into that area and seemingly does not drain away or if it does, only very slowly. I was hoping to find out what was under that piece of sole- I can see by your photos that hoses run from the open sole cavity directly forward of the mast into that compartment- but I can't tell where they go from there or if they end at that point. Water seems to be accumulating in that compartment on my boat. I have not yet cut into that piece of sole to find out.

 

[Christian Williams]

Photos here:

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...I-quot-Delaminated-floorboards-4-minute-video

Also, see Thelonious II blog for another entry on the sole.

After finding the leak, the issue becomes the TAFG itself. Even if the compartments under the sole drain through limber holes (some don't) , there is bound to be water trapped in the inaccessible TAGF in places it cannot get out of--until you go sailing and heel over.

That water is inevitably dark and ancient.

About all we can do is use a shop vac or other small pump to evacuate the sections through their drainage holes, which (if you have them), are "stoppers" screwed into ports low on the TAGF form.

I'm afraid soggy head floorboards on this model are a project to repair.

 

[October55]

Teak Grating or Other Ideas

Thank you Christian for your reply. To your knowledge has anyone installed a teak/wood grate for the sole area in the head instead of repairing the area with solid wood? It seems to me that since this is an area that can accumulate some amount of water it would be prudent to have easy access to be able to remove the water or at least allow some evaporation.

 

[gadangit]

Thank you Christian for your reply. To your knowledge has anyone installed a teak/wood grate for the sole area in the head instead of repairing the area with solid wood? It seems to me that since this is an area that can accumulate some amount of water it would be prudent to have easy access to be able to remove the water or at least allow some evaporation.

We don't have the underlying structural system that the E38 has, but we did put a teak grate into our head. Our head originally came with a shower pan sole. We tried to replicate this with the addition of a teak grate, but it required an entire redo. Out with the old cabinetry and shower pan, in with a new layout, deeper pan and new cabinets. Eventually I'll put in a drain to a pump, but for now it sits without.

"Everyone" thinks the layout is better and is an improvement. I am not "Everyone", so I don't get a vote. Perhaps someday I'll better appreciate it.

Chris

(I rotated the picture after taking it, but it retains memory somehow. I tried!)

 

[October55]

Thanks for the great photo Chris- that is exactly what I had in mind!

 

[Christian Williams]

The only thing that seems to work every time is to align the photo correctly on the desktop and then "save" it that way before uploading.

And you get an extra copy, until vBulletin fixes our problem.

But-very stylish indeed.

 

[October55]

Christian, the second photo from the top in your link to Thelonious II, shows the compartment in question in front of the head. There is an orange color hose running into that compartment. What does that hose do? Is it intended to drain that area? Is it attached to anything? Or is there a limber hole between that compartment and the one where your machete handle lies that serves to drain that area? Any clarification would help. The compartment where that orange hose lies is the one that is retaining water on my boat. I live a distance from my boat and am hoping to have a plan in place when I travel out to undertake the work.

 

[Christian Williams]

The orange hose is the shower bilge pump hose, as you can see better in this photo. As you know, the shower bilge hose is separate from the main bilge hose, and runs next to it all the way to the seacock on the stern quarter. A loose connection in the head area would mean a leak there.

In the shower sump, you can see the PVC tube that directly drains the shower pan. It can leak, too, I imagine.

As far as I know, all the limber holes drain fore and aft. You can see them in the starboard compartments in the machete photo.

However, the limber drainage tubes--the tubes that connect the compartments-- may not be sealed. That is, they may also admit water under the TAFG, where it has no natural evaporation or exit, and where bilge pumps can't reach.

In prep for removing the floorboard, consider a 3/8 Forstner drill bit for the plugs in the trim. Assume the big ss screws through the floorboard itself to be stuck in the fiberglass and to resist extraction. PB Blaster, a big screw driver (one of those models that has a hex casting on the shaft so a wrench can be applied to it), and other forms of screw-puller.

If the floorboard is rotten, it may pry up in one piece leaving the screws behind. For this, some sort of long, flat lever (I used a machete).

If your sole is like mine, the entire forward floor is a single piece in a large V shape. To remove only part of it, some kind of tight-quarters saw is required. I used a Dremel multimaster.

In my case it was a leak from the head sink that caused the damage. It might also be a leaking shower pan or bilge hose, or even a port left open in a rainstorm.

The subfloor drainage system cannot get all the water out of any compartment, and evaporation under there is very slow.

You may have less trouble than I did, so take this as a worst-case thing.

I replaced the floorboard in a way that permits taking them off for inspection (no plugs).

Cheers,
Christian

 

[October55]

Excellent information and pics Christian- thank you very much. I have a much better idea of what I am about to get myself into!

 

[Tom Metzger]

... The subfloor drainage system cannot get all the water out of any compartment, and evaporation under there is very slow....

I filled the compartments that were collecting water under the sole with construction foam and glassed over it to the level of the limber holes so they would drain.

 

[e38 owner]

dark floor board forward of the head in the v berth area

I have found the shower pan at th ejoint between the shower walls and pan cal leak. The water on our boat then flows forward under the v berth drawers then runs back and gets stuck in the area forward of the shower sump pump.

I have tried to seal a few times to no avail. What does work is to keep the bottom drawer out. I have wanted to install a vent plate instead of the drawer but have not got around to it.