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Seaward 25 Bulkhead modifications, written by John Fassero
As I stated I would eventually do in a previous post (several months ago!) this is thread series on the compression bulkhead damage and fix to my 1994 Seaward 25, BREEZE COURIER. Hopefully this will help others that may suffer a similiar fate. If you tune your rigging properly and actually sail the boat, regardless of year, you may OR may not eventually run into this problem. Yes, this problem is more prevalent on the 93-94 models, but keep in mind that it may occur in later years on any of the boats since they are still pretty much done with the same DESIGN...Yes they put some more reinforcement to stiffen the deck (kledge cell core) and more laminate, ....but it's still the same design & the boat's compression bulkheads are still being fastened and joined in the same manner as before, as I witnessed when I went aboard later year models (the latest model year I was aboard was a 2000 a couple of years back, I have heard the new boats design has not changed).
The first year I owned the boat, the port bulkhead fasteners started pulling out of the liner where they are SCREWED into the liner at the upper section of the liner. This allowed the bulkhead to slide up and down as the liner arch compressed from the force of the mast. Not a good thing for a boat less than a year old! This was my first indication of many problems to come. Nick Hake was nice enough to travel from Stuart to my then home in Tampa, FL and help fix the problem. He squirted some 5200 into the openings, and a fiber reinforced putty material into some of the voids under the mast, but it turned out to be only a temporary fix...the bulkhead pulled away again less than 9 months later. IF I CAN FIND THE PHOTOS SHOWING THE FRACTURES I describe, I'll include in a post (SORRY). Photos with this series will show repairs underway only.
So as before, 9 months later the bulkhead fastners securing the port bulkhead to the upper section at the inner liner pulled away. This after the 'fix' supposedly was completed from the first year. Called factory once again, they sent 1" thick by 2" wide teak boards to insall on the aft side of the bulkhead (facing inside main cabin), to be fastened into the bulkhead directly under the arch. I did this on both bulkheads (just to be safe) and then THROUGH-BOLTED the port bulkhead to the archway liner...of course, applying new 5200 adhesive between bulkead and liner. This solved the bulkhead movement problem, but started a new problem altogether. Less than a year later, I noticed fracturing underneath the center of the 'archway' of the molded liner under the mast. Also, the starboard liner dirctly behind the starboard settee cushions was fracturing under the load of the starboard bulkhead. If you notice, the starboard bulkhead runs outboard and simply rests on the inner liner without taking compression loading back down to the hull. If you're curious, take a look up inside your starboard liner underneath the settees, you'll see hollow space, there is no inner bulkhead to take the loading down from the seat of the starboard settee liner to the hull. The settee goes from vertical (the seat back) and turns 90 degrees to form the horizontal surface or seat you sit on...think about it, it's basically a hinge waiting to happen at some point! This is not a good thing for long term cycle compression loading, folks. Basically this is now a sailboat with a broken back bone. I'm thinking that I could of just removed mast and pesky standing/running rigging and convert it to a very slow power boat, but no, I refused to give up the ship! Besides what fun is giving up, anyway! the fun is only beginning! So the next step of course was a call to factory,again WHAT NOW? The saga continues
At this point, I've moved the boat with my job transfer to Corpus Christi, Texas...a thousand miles or so from Tampa, 1200 from Stuart, FL! So where was I, oh yeah, now the archway under the mast (the inner liner as you enter the v-berth) is fracturing and the starboard bulkhead is warping and fracturing the vertical surface you put your back up against on the starboard settee, right at the 90 degree angle where it turns to form the 'seat' of the settee...hopefully this makes sense. A picture says a thousand words, if I find the photos showing damage, I'll post. Way bad I can't find them! As TIme passes, I try to relieve pressure by loosening rigging, but it's just not acceptable sailing. A shoal draft boat barely points to begin with...a loose rig doesn't help, not to mention the cycle loading to the standing rigging! Mr. Hake calls back several months later (yes, he took initiative to call me, which was very impressive) and says he has a truck heading back in couple weeks, he'll take to factory to fix 'permanently'. Boat goes to factory for repairs, comes back (return freight at my expense...$800). Now boat has internal bulkead under the settee to help take load to hull, but the only real work to the fractured laminates (I find out much later) is basically epoxy and gel coat to look pretty. Less than a year later, the fracturing reappears exactly as before, if not worse! The second time around the starboard liner is fracturing all over at the 90 degree angle where it turns to form the seat on the outboard side. Now I've transfered and moved to California, about 3,000 road miles from Stuart! Now I'm on my own, basically..
Well, by now, I wanted to fix this problem permanently...as you can imagine. I found a talented marine carpenter that also was good with fiberglass to help me. It didn't hurt that he also was good at solving problems and had a good head on his shoulders for applying theory to practical solutions.
REPAIRs, ARCHWAY REGLASS AND REMOVAL OF BULKHEADS. Removed the bulkheads and grinded out the fracture areas, completely removing all gel coat. Reglassed/reinforced entire arch with 4 more plys (woven roving and cloth mat combination).
NOTE...the most important addition to the repair! Inside the new laminate, a plywood "beam" was glassed into the forward side of the arch, directly under the deck. This beam provides reinfocement to the deck and a surface for the new bulkheads to rest against. You will see this in later photos of finished product and it will be more apparent (picture says a 1,000 words).
This photo shows the second step which was application of finishing putty to smooth out surface prior to application of gel coat on the archway.
Another problem was that the starboard liner, where the outboard portion of the starboard bulkhead transferred the loading to the horizontal surface, pushing downward and fracturing the vertical surface (forming the back of the settee). This also caused fracturing at the 90 degree radius turn where the settee back turns and forms the "seat". REPAIR, STARBOARD LINER: Added additional 'sister bulkheads' under starboard settee to take the loading down to the hull. This made it wider so (4" wide) to avoid point loading on the liner and the hull. Reglassed entire area (4 additional laminates, woven rovin and cloth matt). I'll show pictures of these bulkheads later. This photo shows liner repairs underway, 4 ply glass reinforcement completed...application of finishing putty prior to gel coat.
As mentioned previously, a ply beam was installed and glassed up against the forward side of the archway. This beam was cut so that it formed the curve of the deck and goes all the way across, from port to starboard. This photo shows the a cross section of the deck beam (constructed of marine grade plywood and encapsulated in glass/gel coat). THis reinforces the deck AND provides a 'ledge" for the bulkhead to rest against. Current design just has it screwed/glued to the arch. This design makes MUCH MORE SENSE if you think about it. Why it is not done this way during construction is beyond me as it would not add much at all to cost...that is DURING construction. Trust me, doing it afterwards is not without great cost!
PORT ARCHWAY BEAM, BULKHEAD JOINERY PHOTO
Another problem encountered was the joiner work necessary to get the bulkhead to sit plumb vertically. It never really was plumb to begin with and this creates problems with loading. My boat carpenter scarfed in wedges of teak, screwed and glued between bulkhead and new liner. This photo shows one of the many scarfs that helped ensure bulkhead is plumb vertically.
Early models of SEAWARD 25 had the head installed forward with a CONTINUOUS bulkhead on the starboard side, just like the Port side. When the head was relocated aft, as on today's models, the foothole was cut out to extend into the V-berth space. This puts the compression loading on the starboard side directly on the settee liner, where it rests on the outboard side. I would recommend that the builder consider installing a bulkhead, as seen here, to take the loading down to the hull. Photo showing bulkhead installed under settee...it runs all the way up to the bulkead on the outboard side, where it mates up with the starboard bulkead underneath the liner. It is cut to form up against the starboard hull, all the way up. This spreads loading to hull and liner.
This photo shows closeup of 1" x 2" compression reinforcement board that was added to bulkheads...it rests on the liner and then is reinforced from underneath by the bulkhead installed under the settee. Also note the teak piece scarfed in to fill the gap to ensure the bulkhead's plumb. This also provided a more sturdy attacment point at a CRITICAL attachment point for the bulkhead...much better than just screwing/glueing straight into the thin liner.
This photo shows the complete bulkhead, you may be able to visualize what I was talking about earlier about taking the loading down to the hull and off the liner. No matter how much you reinforce the liner, unless you take the force back down to the hull, you will have a weaker design. It's basic physics, a radius turn weakens the structure.
This photos shows how new bulkhead was also installed with a scarfed in piece of teak wedge, this plumbed up the port bulkhead and also provided a more solid surface for the newly installed compression "post" attached to the bulkhead (a 1" x 2" teak board installed, from upper liner 'arch' down to liner/settee...after a year of use, this has effectively proven to stiffen and eliminate bowing of bulkhead...I highly recommend installation of this stiffener on all boats). Take it for what it's worth, free advice to prevent future problems later.
This photo shows complete installed port bulkead.
This photo shows cross section, better illustrating joinery at bottom section of port bulkhead.
This thread series I've put forward is not meant to dwell on the negative...hopefully through recognition of how this problem evolved and was resolved, other owners will realize that to fix it permanently they are going to need to reinforce the bulkheads substantially (no quick fix available; as was attempted by factory). I paid $800 to ship back to factory with less than satisfactory results. A half-assed GOOD TRY does not cut it in my book and does not work in the business world. THis cost me $2000 (not to mention the $800 before for a total of almost $3000) to fix the bulkhead and reglass, as you viewed on this series. I had the good fortune of hiring a reasonable person to complete this fix; I had others quoting upwards of $5000-$8000 for the same job, although these more expensive "ship wrights" wanted to do much more...like laminating knees, completely replacing starboard liner, etc). THis series is all about PREVENTION, not bitching. Maybe the factory will review and learn how to do it right and I hope that any others that have the problem can use as a guide to fix. If I can save some poor soul my experience of sitting in the boat wandering how in the hell to fix the nightmare! May also be a good guide for someone wanting to go blue water and reinforce bulkheads so they don't have failure underway. To close this series, sending along a shot of refurbed galley, better photo then previously sent a few months ago. The teak trim covering liner under stairs/aft side of galley makes a big difference! Yes, that's a 12V front loading fridge installed in place of trash can, bought through Defender Industries, (INDEL marine DC fridge/freezer, compressor mounts separately so you only have 12" of depth required for fridge. the norcold require much more depth since compressor mounts to back of unit and also reduces inside fridge space.) Good luck and keep the slimy side down Seaward owners! -JOHN.
Seaward 25 Bulkhead modifications, written by John Fassero
Contact BRETT FOR THE "GORKE BULKHEAD FIX" at... BRETT GORKE, Boat Wright/Carpenter San Clemente, California stormin12000@earthlink.net (949) 412-1838