GP14 Sailing Forums Forum Repairing 4037 – cleaning the mast and hull repair

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    • #4946
      timadlam
      Participant

      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>Hi all,</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>I am an engineer and reasonably competent with woodworking tools, but we’re new to owning dinghies and GP14s, having happily acquired GP14 4037 by accident after a offer I couldn’t refuse from the friend of a friend (we initially only wanted the trailer, but you know how it can be with a old boat that needs a bit of TLC)! We would really like to get it sailing again.</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>It has had some damage to the hull repaired around the mast step – I’m told the hull was holed next to the step by a wayward trailer pad and that there was no damage to the keel or hog. The wooden mast step was rotten, so I have made a new one from a sound 300 year old oak beam – it’s beautiful wood.</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>The rib forward of the centreboard case was also rotten where it was against the centreboard. I have made and scarfed in a new piece from good quality marine ply.</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>My main query relates to the wooden mast. I have removed the fittings and stripped the varnish off it to recoat it, but how do I clean out and recoat the slot the mainsail runs in? Please excuse my ignorance for not knowing the name of this slot! I don’t want to damage the wood, which is quite thin in this area.</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>If I post an appropriate photo of the hull, would anyone be able to comment on the old repair?</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>Many thanks,</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”><span style=”background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);”>Tim Adlam</span></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”></p>
      <p style=”margin: 10px 5px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px;”>ps: apologies to the moderator for initially putting this post in entirely the wrong place!</p>
       

    • #4947
      timadlam
      Participant

      Hi all,

      I am an engineer and reasonably competent with woodworking tools, but we’re new to owning dinghies and GP14s, having happily acquired GP14 4037 by accident after a offer I couldn’t refuse from the friend of a friend (we initially only wanted the trailer, but you know how it can be with a old boat that needs a bit of TLC)! We would really like to get it sailing again.

      It has had some damage to the hull repaired around the mast step – I’m told the hull was holed next to the step by a wayward trailer pad and that there was no damage to the keel or hog. The wooden mast step was rotten, so I have made a new one from a sound 300 year old oak beam – it’s beautiful wood.

      The rib forward of the centreboard case was also rotten where it was against the centreboard. I have made and scarfed in a new piece from good quality marine ply.

      My main query relates to the wooden mast. I have removed the fittings and stripped the varnish off it to recoat it, but how do I clean out and recoat the slot the mainsail runs in? Please excuse my ignorance for not knowing the name of this slot! I don’t want to damage the wood, which is quite thin in this area.

      If I post an appropriate photo of the hull, would anyone be able to comment on the old repair?

      Many thanks,

      Tim Adlam

      ps: apologies to the moderator for initially putting this post in entirely the wrong place, and for the html pasted in the post earlier – it didn’t show on my screen. Can I delete or edit posts? I couldn’t find how to correct it.

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    • #5026
      Oliver Shaw
      Moderator

      It would be worth checking the state of the glue that is holding the two parts of the mast together.    If it is starting to fail,  which it may well be,  then you will have to split the mast anyway and reglue.   That is your golden opportunity to clean out everything,  including the luff groove,  and either varnish the interior surfaces and the luff groove or treat them with epoxy.

       

      If the glue is absolutely sound,  then cleaning out the luff groove will probably take some ingenuity.    I would be inclined to try a “slug” formed by a very short length (a few inches) of sail luff,  complete with the luff rope,  cut out of a scrap sail,  wrapped with sandpaper;   just pull it along the groove,  backwards and forwards.       Another idea for a slug is a short length of wooden dowel,  and improvise some means of pulling it or pushing it along the groove.

       

      A potential problem that you may have is the width of the slot not being constant,  and if you are too generous with the varnish and the slot is very narrow you may find that once you have varnished it you have difficulty getting the sail to run up it.    I have this problem on my small yacht,  but in that case she is gaff rigged and the problem is only with the boom and the gaff,  so it doesn’t greatly matter if the sails are stiff to slide along the spars because the operation happens only twice a year;   they go on at the beginning of the season and come off at the end.    With a mast groove,  the sail needs to be able to slide up it and down it every time you sail.

       

      Oliver

    • #5027
      timadlam
      Participant

      Thanks Oliver. That’s helpful. I’m hoping not to need to split the mast, but we shall see. We tried cleaning it with sandpaper wrapped around a small bottle brush, and then varnished with  the same. It seemed to work ok. I haven’t tried the sail in it yet though. I don’t think there were any loose bits in there when I varnished.  Did you look at my mast step?

      I have had a good look for “4037” on the hog, but can’t find any numbers, so either it’s never been measured, or the number was removed with the repair. Do I disqualify the boat from class events with my new mast step? I matched the hole size, depth and position from the old one, but made it wider to strengthen the area around the previous owner’s repair.

    • #5032
      Oliver Shaw
      Moderator

      I am not a measurer,  so cannot give an authoritative reply to that question,  but provided the heel of the mast is in the correct place I think it would be a harsh decision to disqualify you for that!

       

      I have not yet looked at the step,  but will do so shortly.    Am currently just back home (yesterday afternoon) from six weeks away cruising  –  not in a GP14,  but in a small trailer-sailer yacht not all that much larger (20-ft gaff cutter)  –  and am now busy de-storing the boat and catching up everything at home,  so please forgive me if I don’t do this immediately.

       

       

       

      Oliver

       

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