Reinforcing Anchor Locker Pan

The floor of the anchor locker pan on my E35-3 flexes whenever I crank on the manual windlass that I have installed inside the anchor locker. I've been wanting to reinforce it as well as rebed it, since I have some leaks there. I also wanted access to the underside of the bow pulpit and bow cleats for rebedding.
After a pretty full day of wrestling with it, I was finally able to remove the pan from the boat. My plan is to add a layer of chopped mat and a layer of woven roving to the underside of the pan. I was hoping that any of you who have done this project might tell me if that is what you did or if there's a better way. I wonder if it might be a good idea to use core material under the new glass layers to further stiffen the pan.
There isn't enough clearance around the sides of the pan to bring the glass layers up the sides. Any ideas would be most welcome. Thanks.

Laura Bertran
Footloose, 1985 E35-3
Annapolis, MD

anchor locker

I haven't done this job; but I'd like to install a windlass on my 87 e34. Did your boat come originally with a windlass? or was it added later? (i.e. did the factory design it/build it for the forces of a windlass?) my locker does fine holding the anchor tackle; but i believe installing a power windlass would put an amount of stress on it. There is a thread on this site where one owner classed in the whole thing. I'd still like access to the cleats and bowrail hardware so I don't want to glass it in. that leave's reinforcing the bottom and sides plus maybe cross struts glassed to the inside of the hull for additional support. Do you have a picture of your locker?

I Installed Windlass

I thought that with a beefy enough backing plate it would work ok, but I find the pan floor still flexes. I'm going to photograph and post this project in the owners section, but that will take a couple of weeks. I think it would be a mistake to glass in the pan since you would lose access to all of the foredeck hardware for repair and rebedding. I'm also hesitant to tab the anchor pan to the hull since this will spread loads in a way that wasn't engineered by the factory. I really think that a bit of stiffening of the pan floor and careful rebedding will solve the problem.

Laura Bertran
Footloose, 1985 E35-3
Annapolis, MD

Two sides to the problem

Well, since no one else has yet said it....

There are two sides to that pan floor. Rather than trying to keep the beautiful gel coat surface of the inside bottom, maybe it would be expeditious to sacrifice 3/4" of depth and put the coring inside.
Sand the surface with 40 grit and the sides upward about 2 or 3 inches. Put your fitted coring material (Plywood?) into a bed of thickened epoxy and weight down with cans of Dinty Moore. Next day lay in 6" wide bi-axial cloth all around the side to bond the new core to the sides -- maybe a couple layers or more. then lay several layers of heavy cloth across the bottom over the new coring.
Really a similar solution as first proposed, but on top rather than underneath -- and you will not have dhanged the external "fit" where the original part tightly wedges down into the bow when re-installed.

Tape off and paint in some (reasonably) matching gel coat on the new work on the inside after you have sanded it and done some fairing for sake of apearance.

Near future: when mounting any hardware into this new cored floor, be sure to follow the tried-n-true practice of overdrilling any fastening hole and filling with solid epoxy and then redrilling the hole. These lockers are always wet inside, seems like...)

Yeah, I know, easy for me to suggest some dusty grinding and glass work... being as how you are doing all the work and I am a continent away!


Photos, please, if you can do so for us.

Best,
Loren in PDX

Thanks, Loren

The problem (and there's always a problem, right? ) is that I need to keep the current depth of the pan in order to keep my windlass inside the locker. I know I can move the windlass but I'd really prefer not too since it keeps my foredeck clear of obstructions for both sailing and errant toes. I've been re-reading the West System Fiberlass Repair booklet and they have a good secton on reinforcing. I think I can get the job done with either some core or a couple of small stringers on the underside of the pan. I definitely intend to photograph the project and post it on this site. Thanks for the suggestion, I think it would work well and be ultimately easier but I don't want to lose that 3/4".

Laura

Laura have some excellent biaxial cloth (24oz beefy stuff) as well as a piece of corecell 3/8" thick I believe that should work well for this job. Email me to arrange picking it up at my house. I would grind the bottom as you suggest to get a good tooth then glue in the core material followed by the cloth. Should yield a finished pan that is as stiff as the deck. Also corecell will not absorb water ever and is lighter than plywood. I am planning on working on the boat this sat if weather coops and could bring the material to Casa Rio if you are going to be there. Either way I think you have my p-mail.

Hey Ted

That's awesome! I'm planning on spending the day at Casa Rio on Saturday so that would work out great! I really appreciate your advice and getting the right material from you is even better! See you saturday.
Laura

pan repair

Laura
I was unable to locate the pics from when I rebuilt the pan on my E34. I do think that adding reinforcement under the windlass is a good idea. What I think is worth considering is to add to the outside of the bottom (bilge side) under the windlass mounting and then add reinforcing strips to the "gelcoat" side to stiffen the sides of the pan. This would allow you to strengthen the entire assembly without creating a clearance problem. The only weak spot would then be the actual mounting flange between the deck and the locker. The interior (gelcoat) reinforcement could be 3" wide strips positioned verticaly up the sides and glassed in. These "ribs" would add lots of strength w/o taking up a lot of space.
I would also consider adding 1X1 strips of white oak to the underside of the deck side of the mounting flange. This would spread the load over a larger area plus give the screws a much better "bite" to hold on to. White oak is more rot resistant (closed grain) than the more common red oak. Pine is too soft but mahogany would be OK also. Add fender washers under the screws to give a larger bearing area. You might have to notch the cover for clearance.
The only other thing to consider is avoiding adding material to the bottom over the V-berth area. On the 34's this extends about 12" under the locker. I don't know if this holds true for the 35"s though.
What shape is the cover in? Mine was leaking and most of the coring was rotten. Removed the inner side, replaced the coring material & reglassed. Made sure that core was sealed where fasteners passed through to prevent that happening again.
Good luck and keep us posted. And don't loose your pictures like I did (opps!).
Have fun & sail fast
Bud E34 #265 "Escapade"

Hi Bud

Thanks for the tips. You asked about the anchor locker lid. That looks to be in good shape aside from flaking of the paint on the inside. I'm going to epoxy the hinge screw holes and re-drill them, as well as repaint the inside of the lid. Just waiting for the weather to cooperate, maybe this weekend. I'll try to get some good pictures.
Laura

On my 1981 E38 I reinforced the floor of the anchor locker pan by attaching a 3/4 " marine plywood panel to the underside of the pan with epoxy and then adding a layer of glass mat. It has worked well. I also added oak strips under the deck to accept the screws holding the pan in.
Tom