need answers please

I'm restoring a 1968 e23 and need some tech advise, inside the cabin and under the mast there seems to be a crack or buckle in the glass,I have noticed on most boats there is a pole that supports the mast, on this boat there is not one, how is it constructed and do I have a major problem.
Bob

I am not familiar with the 60's E-23's but, Yes I think you must have to have a compression post of some kind under the deck where the mast is stepped. They are usually teak and extend through the cabin sole.

See the attached photos of the 1970's E-23. Note the arrow pointing to the compression post. Check the Specs & Docs section for more info on these boats.

hey jeff thanks for re:
it loooks like mine has never had a compression post only bulkheads between the vberth and galley area and what appears to be a beam that runs the width of the boat also does the area between the deck and the cabin roof have some kind of a foam or core build up mine seems to have a void in this area

Don't know. Hopefully someone else will have the answer for you. Seems kind of strange. I once owned a 22 foot McGregor, not nearly as well made as a Ericson and even it had a compression post. Most Ericsons I know of have a balsa core between the deck and the headliner.

I guess they made other configurations. I got this shot from a 1970 E-23 on Yacht World.com. Looks like no post. Check out the photo.

check out the link: http://yachtworld.com/core/listing/...=100&fromPrice=1&toPrice=100,000,000.00&cint=

Hi,


I think the first step in checking this out is to evaluate the area of the deck around the mast. Have you thumped around to see if there are sound changes as you get near the base? Do note, that on many (if not all) of the Ericsons, the area of the deck where the mast is stepped is plywood core instead of the balsa core found in other areas of the deck and cabin top - so some sound change is to be expected We're looking for the hollow dull thud of moisture damage instead of the sharp rap tap of a nice solid area. Is there any sign of water weeeping from down below around the mast or the cracks you mention?

If it seems that you do have moisture in the area, the next step is to figure out how bad. It would be very convenient if you could track someone down with a moisture meter who could check this out for you without making you pay for a survey. You could go below the mast and drill a small e.g. 1/8 inch hole through the headliner and into the core and see if the bit comes out wet and perhaps water may even weep.

If it turns out the core is saturated and delamination has set in, you will need to repair the deck in this area. This is really not that hard if done carefully, but one step at a time.

Looking at the link Jeff posted, is there a fiberglass box/beam spanning the two bulkheads and providing support for the mast?


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

hey David
it does have a fiberglass box/ beam spaning the bulkheads as in the picture when you look thru the holes where the chainplates go thru to the bulkhead it appears to be wood sandwiched between the top and bottom, sounds solid
at the mast, but the entire cabin top sounds hollow like nothing is there

when it sounds hollow, are you tapping from down below or up on deck? Need to check from the deck side, or you'll be faked out by the headliner.

As you walk on the deck, does it flex? What happens if you gently bounce yourself (keeping feet on deck, just knee flexing). Any signs of water pumping out of cracks?


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

it is weak, flexes and makes a cracking sound, the boat was neglected before I rescued it.

Hi Bob,

You have a 23 Mk-1. There was never a compression post directly below the mast step. As you’ve noticed there is a box beam supported by the port and starboard bulkheads which have somewhat of a compression post on each inner edge forming the access to the vee berth. The beam is only spanning 18” or so. My 1968 E23 Mk-1 has some small cracks under the mast but they have not changed in the two years I’ve had the boat. I sail in the Monterey Bay where we routinely get steep chop, strong winds and I sail often.

Are you sailing the boat?

Mark

Here's a photo of the unsupported beam area.

hey Mark
I have sailed her 3 times, then pulled her out of the water, she's landlocked on Lake Texoma on the Texas Oklahoma border
needed bottom redone no paint in years and pitting in gelcoat has occured,
entire boat was painted with bad poly paint job that was not preped properly,inside and out,all the wood on the interior was painted (awful). I am in the process of stripping the paint off of her now, inside is gutted and wood work stripped, I really was concerned with the cabin top next to the companionway it is creeking and weak in that area and the cockpit floor.
Bob

vabobadams said:

it is weak, flexes and makes a cracking sound, the boat was neglected before I rescued it.

Click to expand...

Hi Bob,


Sounds like you are going to get into some fiberglass repair. It's not hard. Have you gone down this road before?


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

Glass work

Bob,
Sounds like you have some areas where the core of the deck has disintigrated and needs repair. Are you familiar with West System epoxy? They have some execellant reference guides on using their products, check em out.
If you need advice on how to repair the core, do a search up top on core repair or words to that effect there are lots of threads on this topic. Ryan

thanks for all your help, never done fiberglass repair, I am a Trim Carpenter by trade, shouldn't be real difficult to do, read some on it before I started this project didn't scare me off her yet.
She has the most graceful lines for a boat built in that era that I have seen, and what sailing I have had on her has been great. We race a 39' benneteu IOR 1 Ton In club matches, so she kind of a relaxing switch when she was in the water

If you haven't already, pick up "Hull and Deck Repair" by Don Casey. It'll be helpful with any repairs or reinforcement you need.