Jay, I think your bulkhead issue is being blown a little out of proportion. Lots of racing boats have two small bulkheads. The main purpose of the bulkheads on the C27 is to transfer the in line load from the chain plates to the plywood reinforced section of the liner in front of the setees (where it is glassed to the hull). The post should handle the compression of the deck by the mast. The starboard bulkhead would bend/warp under any load from the deck if that was its intended purpose. If you look at the way the starboard bulkhead is attached to the liner and the compression post, it is just screwed in; except for two 1/4" carriage style bolts that are used to transfer the chain plate load to the hull. I can't imagine the bulkhead even provides much torsional support to keep the hull from flexing. The hull liner is multi dimensional in the shape of an arch or stringer where it spans the cabin roof from one chain plate to the other, I believe this provides all the support needed and the starboard bulkhead is 75% asthetic.
Personally, unless your bulkheads are not anchored to the hull properly, or the chainplates are moving around when under load, I would just let leave it the way it is. Dan Hardiman C27 #4149 "Summer Skis" Annapolis, MD *PS* Incidentally, last weekend I cleaned out my shed and threw out the templates that I had made when I replaced my bulkheads 6 years ago. --- On Wed, 6/23/10, Jay Ducote <[email protected]> wrote: From: Jay Ducote <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [IC27A] c27 bulkhead To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 9:53 PM Is there anyone who has recently done a bulkhead replacement that could provide me with their old bulkhead and/or a paper pattern so that I can make a replacement out of marine plywood? Or, does anybody a set they would part with for a fair price? Any help would be appreciated as I attempt to undo the mistake of the PO of my 81 Cat 27! Thanks! On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 7:57 PM, Jay Ducote <jaydduc...@gmail. com> wrote: [Attachment(s) from Jay Ducote included below] If those pictures aren't visible to you, then check the attachments on this email. Thanks. On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 7:54 PM, Jay Ducote <jaydduc...@gmail. com> wrote: Here is the best picture I could get to immediately. The shelves on the left side of the picture are built into what is left of the bulkheads. This is on the standard interior format of a Cat27. The head is in a compartment underneath the desk with a laptop sitting on it. You can barely see the center post on the far left. The decorations are not mine, they belong to the previous owner who did modifications to live aboard but I'm trying to get her ready to sail. I would guess that the chainplates are still bolted to what is left of the bulkheads, but I'll have to check on that. I believe the port side is pretty similar to this as far as the size of the bulkheads (cabinets to far right, center post is again barely visible on the right. I'm a fairly big guy (280 lbs) and I haven't noticed flexing of the deck when walking on it. Still, I doubt it would be too difficult to reinforce the deck if that is the biggest issue with the lack of bulkheads. I think my prime concern will be the stability of the chainplates. If they are good, then should I really have any problem? Thanks for all your responses so far! On Sat, Jun 19, 2010 at 7:20 PM, <rspe...@aol. com> wrote: One way to find out is the following: There is a spray on material that is used on material to show when materials flex. It is sprayed on. When the part is strained, cracks develop in proportion to the movement of the underlying material. My guess is that the spray on material would also work for this situation. I've forgotten the name of the material, but you should be able to find it on the internet, in strain products. The bulkhead spreads the load of the chainplates upward onto the underside of the deck - kind of in a triangle shape. I don't recall that the bulkheads are attached to the hull. Bob In a message dated 6/19/2010 5:13:27 P.M. US Eastern Standard Time, jaydduc...@gmail. com writes: The previous owner of the my c27 reduced the bulkheads to open up the cabin. The walls that enclose the head are no longer there. The interior is really nice, but I'm concerned about the structural integrity without the walls extending all the way to the center post. Is this going to reduce the ability to bear loads on the deck above, or should the center post and fiberglass be sufficient? What about when sailing and heeling over... will the lack of the bulkhead walls that enclose the head give me any problems there? Are there any proposed solutions to this? Thanks! -- Jay D. Ducote jaydduc...@gmail. com http://www.biteandb ooze.com http://www.linkedin .com/pub/ jay-ducote/ 20/2a2/897 225-603-4680 twitter.com/ biteandbooze #BRSocMe -- Jay D. Ducote jaydduc...@gmail. com http://www.biteandb ooze.com http://www.linkedin .com/pub/ jay-ducote/ 20/2a2/897 225-603-4680 twitter.com/ biteandbooze #BRSocMe -- Jay D. Ducote jaydduc...@gmail. com http://www.biteandb ooze.com http://www.linkedin .com/pub/ jay-ducote/ 20/2a2/897 225-603-4680 twitter.com/ biteandbooze #BRSocMe
