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Oliver,
Good advice if access to the wood to be treated is easy, but on a Speed GP14 the bare plywood is hidden away and is difficult to see let alone access to apply any coating. The areas that Paul is considering are the vertical piece of plywood inside the transom to which the rudder fittings are bolted – access is through the inspection hatch on the port side of the stern knee, it is just possible to get your hand through the hatch to the rudder fitting bolts but you cannot see what you are doing, it is feel only – and coating would need to be sprayed on, so an epoxy would not be possible unless applied with a squirty bottle. The other areas are the pieces of plywood bonded to the underside of the deck to support the under deck genoa tracks and first turning block – these are best accessed with the boat upside down with the boat supported on high supports so that the work can be carried out from under the boat, to avoid getting the coating into the genoa blocks and tracks these would need to be removed and the bolts taped over then an epoxy or other coating could be applied.
Other areas of plywood tat gave me problems had been coated or bonded in during building the boat but due to poor workmanship the bonding layers had failed and water penetrated the plywood – plywood under the side thwarts, turning block pads all needed repairs. The other main problem area was the pad under the mast foot track which was between the cockpit floor and the hull, once this is wet and rotten only way to repair is to cut a hole in the outer hull, replace the wood and then make good the hull, trying to coat this insitu would be spraying something through the two inspection hatches in the cockpit floor and then it would be very hit and miss as it is not possible to see what you are actually doing!!
Sorry this is negative but access to the bare plywood fitted to the Speed GP14s is very difficult and needs professional repairs if rot is found.
Steve
Paul,
Hope you dont find any rot in the ply wood bits in your boat, other places to check are the plywood pads bonded to the sides of the hull for the genoa sheet turning blocks and finally the pads bonded to the hull for the shroud plates. The genoa sheet pads debonded on 13954, the shroud plates seemed to be sound but I had had enough and part exchanged her with SP Boats for an SP1 boat No 14197 which Steve Parker assured me would not rot – so far it has been a great boat to sail. Just want to get back on the water once lockdown is over.
Hi
Yes the gasket should overlap by 4mm or so if using a sail cloth version, some now use a Mylar slot gasket which is fitted as a single piece stuck down with Thixofix glue and held under the rubbing bands and then slit after fitting. Your wooden Y fairings are unique, but I would still take the gasket material under the Y fairings to the point where the Y is a single, to make sure no step between the Y fairing and the alloy rubbing strips, paint or varnish the hull before fitting the slot gasket, paint varnish the Y fairings before fitting.
Hi,
Not much to add to Oliver’s comments but it is normal to bring the new slot gasket forward to be under the forward Y fairing, trim off any excess material after screwing down. To get the best fit and performance I normally tension the new slot gasket by having eyelets aft of the end of the slot through which you can pass a rope to the transom keeping the gasket tight while you screw down the rubbing bands to hold it in place, make the screw holes as described by Oliver once tensioned. Make sure that screws in the rubbing band are completely within the countersink recesses – file down the heads if necessary so no sharp exposed edges to catch when sliding you boat on and off the trolley .
Regards Steve
Rob
Oliver has given you some information regarding efficiency ratios used over the years. Early boats I sailed had simple multi purchase block and tackle systems with an integral jamb cleat on the lower multi block for the crew to make the adjustments. Problem with the multi block systems was friction with the ropes running though the blocks – the next step was to use a leaver system with a two part adjustment rope which was either cleated on the mast or lead through block along the side of the plate case or even better to the side benches.
The modern systems use cascade blocks lead back to the side benches or to the aft end of the plate case. can be powerful but can be set up to limit loads.
For a Cunningham system a simple single run of 6mm rope from an eye on the mast though the eye or block on the sail down the other side of the mast to a jamb cleat on the mast. You can of course double up the purchase and also lead the ropes back to cleats on the side benches or on the plate case.
There are pictures of rigging systems on this web site but most show newer series boats – I have a set of sketches and some photos of older systems – send me an email if you would like a copy scorbet@btinternet.com
Steve Corbet
When I was sorting out my Speed GP14 No 13954 I was told that at the time she was made Speed about 2008, Speed were very busy and that hulls and decks were being moulded by an outside company in Todmorden, never got the name, and then shipped back to Speed for the fit out before delivery. At the start of this arrangement Speed provided the plywood reinforcement pieces, but later the sub contractor sourced the plywood reinforcement locally – they didn’t use a good quality plywood which in my boat and a number of others rotted, leading to structural failures in some key parts of the boat.
Steve Corbet
Hi,
I would agree with Oliver’s comment about ‘ positive buoyancy takes up space’, the bag used in each side of a Series 1 boat provide 150lbs of buoyancy each, so a total of 600lbs, the area under the foredeck originally held a triangular pillow which filled about half the height of the space, later we got Crewsaver to make double height pillows which completely filled the bow space. With this buoyancy when the boat was righted after a capsize the water level will be below the top of the plate case making it possible to clear the water with out the boat continuing to fill up!!. Later boats and as a retro fit many of us fitted a bulkhead forward of frame 2, either full height to the underside of the deck or if wanting some forward storage a part height tank with the top on the stringer, difficult unless you have the foredeck off!!.
BUT beware of not having enough buoyancy, also are you replacing the capping over the centre board case? without it water will splash up when moving, even with a slot gasket.
Steve
Hi I was pleased to receive my Spring Mainsail as always a good read for all GP owners. But I was hoping to see more details about the rule change which allows for deck holes for spinnaker storage and launching.
My questions are:Can the hopes be cut into decks of existing boats? Both glass and wood?
What stiffening is needed under the decks in this high stress area?
Will there be revised drawings issued and a requirement for a measurement check and and endorsement on the boats certificate? As is required when modifying the mast step in series 1 boats.
The idea looks good but I would like to see more information and detail about the changes needed to the construction to accommodate the holes
Some interesting thoughts, not going to cut any hole until some clear instructions and plans available.would be rather strange for a change to the rules that can not be applied retrospectively to older boats. This would be a first where old boats could not be kept up to date. The pictures we saw in the January news letter were of a glass boat, which builder had made the modes and was it a new build with a modified deck moulding? As the pictures showed what appeared to be an after fitted moulding trimming the openings I feel that some more details need to be published – Spring Mainsail?
Steve
Hi,
in the original Series 1 GPs the floor boards were 75 to 100 mm wide slats with gaps, in later years most owners changed to floor boards from ply wood with no gaps each board being 300 mm wide so could be cut from half a standard sheet of ply. The single sheet without gaps meant that things didn’t get lost so often. The boards were there to serve two purposes to spread the crew loads so that the bottom panels were not bearing foot loadings, second they provide a space for water from spray and waves to be without wetting the crews feet. The bottom panels of Your 1974 GRP boat will be relatively weak compared to plywood and as such floorboards are needed to help spread the crew foot loads.
When boats are weighed the floorboards are included in the weight, the rules say that the floorboards must not be used to make up weight in a boat that would be otherwise under weight. The class rules say that the floorboards must be in place for the boat to confirm to the class rules.
Of course new boats built in last 20 years as Series 2 boats both grp and wood have a double floor with buoyancy tank under what would be the floor boards. Some Series 1 boats had risers added to the frames so that control lines could be run under the floor boards.
Matt,
i think that Chris and Oliver have said all you need to know about swapping fittings and the rig from your wooden boat to an old grp hull. It is possible but may take just as long as refurbing your wooden hull. One show stopper on cost would be if the shrouds supporting the mast are either too long or too short for the grp boat, there are no standard positions for the shroud plates and therefore shrouds are unique to the boat, you may be lucky but you would need to put the mast into the boat and try for length
Steve
Matt,
i have dug out my copy of the plans and on Sheet 3 of 4 the keel to hog bottom ply detail shows the ply under the keel but there should be enough width in the hog, the inner part to clean off the bottom panel and fit it to the hog without removing the keel. I would check the width of the hog along the part you want to replace to see how much of the hog you will have as the landing for your new ply. You will also need to remove the bilge keels, these screw through into the frames. Along the chine the bottom ply is screw glued to the inner chine stringer and the outer chine piece sits in a notch and is planed down to match the bottom ply. You may need to replace part of the outer chine piece just depends on how cleanly you can remove the old ply, it may be best to cut into the inner chine stringer and refinish the outer chine piece to match the new ply.
if you get stuck for buying a set of plans I do have a set of my own which I could trace the details for you, email me at scorbet@btinternet.com if that helps
Steve
Hi,
i have replaced several panels on various GPs. Is your boat a Series 1 boat with buoyancy bags? Up to hull number about 13200 or a newer Series 2 boat with buoyancy under the floor? First I would buy a set of the construction plans from the Association office, for which ever type of boat you have, this will let you see how the bottom panels and the keel are constructed.
The keel piece is fitted after the bottom panels are fitted, so to remove then one would normally remove a section of the keel so that the ply can be removed and the new ply fitted to the hog ( the inner part of the keel). The ply can be replaced between any of the frames I would normally identify the position of the frame and cut through the ply along the middle of the frame so that the existing ply panel and the new ply are supported on the frame, you could also try a half joint where you taper the old and new ply over a length of about 50 to 75mm over a frame. All new ply and joints should be made using SP epoxy 106 resin and fillers and all new wood coated with epoxy to ensure no further rotting. After fitting the new bottom panels refit the keel .
what you are planning is not an easy job but is not impossible providing you have a good work space under cover if possible.
Good luck and let us know how you go.
Hi sorry for slow reply but not been at home. If you email me I will send you a collection of horror pictures too many and bid for the forum email scorbet@btinternet.com
