posted February 11, 2008 10:32 PM            

I undertook a repair of my cockpit floor this year. I found it was a little "springy". I examined inside the aft lazerette and discovered the joint of the floor with the bulkhead was weak, cracked infact. To me it just looked like a poorly made joint. I could also see evidence of water leakage from the cockpit drain, which needed rebedding, although I couldn't determine if water had gotten to the styrofoam. I hope not!!

I enlarged the crack in the joint and made a hole to inject spray expanding foam. (I later read on this board that this may be a mistake. Oh well time will tell)
The foam filled in the void probably halfway into the cockpit floor. I may go at it from inside the boat later to fill in the rest.
Then i epoxied the joint with thickened West System, and layers of cloth. I made sure I had a good fillet.
The result is that the floor has considerably stiffened.

With regards to your idea of a hinged floor, how do you intend to make it water tight, and are you planning to do away with the foam floatation? Bass boats drain aft to the bilge and electic pump to remove acumulation, and have a removable drain plug when they haul out(sorry, run on). Have you contimplated this? Couldn't you epoxy you floor back in place after replacing the foam?
Food for thought.
Eric.

BTW, Sandpiper 144 still sits in my driveway, inpart because, I'm at work today. The forcast is for a great week so Thurs and Fri are lookin' good to go!

[This message has been edited by Eric (edited July 01, 2003).]

IP: 130.63.85.117

2.
SuperPiper
unregistered posted July 01, 2003 06:52 PM              
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My theory is that the water in the core of the cockpit floor froze year after year until there was a split in the floor. The void under the cockpit filled with rainwater (the front of the cockpit is 2+" lower than the drain). This water appeared in the lockers under the berths when the boat heeled. The hull and liner do not make a water-tight seal at the bulkhead under the cockpit.

I had cut out the middle of the cockpit floor without invading the lazarette. I screwed from above a piece of plywood to the underside of the floor and then screwed down what remained of the floor. I filled the joints with CTC polyester filler and hardener. It seemed to work for awhile.

I also installed a screwed access port in the starboard quarter berth so that I could sponge water out of the hull.

Now I am back to where I started.

IP: 204.92.62.73

3.
whited
unregistered posted July 02, 2003 03:36 PM              
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Funny you guys should mention springy floors.
I went to look at a Sandpiper a couple of weeks ago, and as soon as I stepped into the cockpit, I felt the floor give under me.
Needless to say, I was concerned & didn't buy.

IP: 142.177.15.248

4.
Buzz
unregistered posted July 02, 2003 10:39 PM              
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Maybe this is a common problem with Sandpipers. The cockpit floor in our boat was spongey and cracked so I removed it from the lazerette bulkhead to the companionway step. The "water-tight" compartment below was full of water and the foam completely saturated. I removed and replaced the foam and installed an automatic bilge pump just in front of the keel housing. After replacing the fibreglass cockpit floor I installed a teak floor. Looks pretty good in my humble opinion. After a heavy rain the bilge pump pumps water from this compartment but its a mystery as to how it gets there as I'm certain the cockpit no longer leaks.The water must find its way in from other leaks in the deck.

IP: 66.185.85.70

5.
SuperPiper
unregistered posted July 04, 2003 05:39 AM              
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Buzz:

Please describe your bilge pump installation in a little more detail. I remember Ken saying that he had installed a bilge pump in his lazarette(?). Buzz, to where do you pipe the discharge? Is the pump inside the cabin or under the cockpit floor? How do you access it? . . .

I am very interested!

Are Sandpipers water ballasted?

IP: 204.92.62.65

6.
Buzz
unregistered posted July 05, 2003 12:50 AM              
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I installed the bilge pump just behind the centreboard trunk beneath the cabin floor,on the lowest part of the hull, accessing this spot from a 6" diameter inspection port I cut on the companionway step just above the cabin sole on the port side. I removed enough of the spayed-in foam here to install the bilge pump and a transducer for a depth-guage. (On the port side of the keel housing inside the cabin).

The 3/4" discharge pipe from the bilge pump pierces the bulkhead at the forward end of the water-tight compartment beneath the cockpit,traverses the lazerette, and empties through the port-side through-hull fitting on the transom. I connected both scuppers from the cockpit seats to the other transom through-hull fitting. Please note that all this makes these compartments no longer watertight. But this was not really an issue for my Sandpiper as I think they had leaked for years.

My Sandpiper had several hundred pounds of water ballast but the boat is not supposed to have any.

I'm writing this as we're packing up to head to Stoney Lake, to the cottage, where we keep the boat. Our Sandpiper "Rocinante" has been a great boat for the cottage.

IP: 66.185.85.70

7.
archarzel
Member posted July 05, 2003 07:27 PM               
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I just got my Sandpiper #576, not sure when this boat was manufactured. I have checked and there is no inspection ports that allow you to see if its taking on water in the belly. But in reading this thread should I be concerned ? -
None of my floors feel springy but I have noticed a clunking sound when the centerboard is all the way down, this may be normal but I dont know.
Should I be concerned with this.

IP: 209.226.179.70

8.
Darcy
Member posted July 09, 2003 07:49 AM               
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In my search and research of Sandpipers I have seen a couple with slightly springy floors. the Owners didn't seem too concerned though as it was minor deflection.

Reinforcing the floor would be in order if its really springy.

The other interesting thing is on these boats I believe you could access and inspect the flotation. (Maybe this was an Owner modification?) The foam was done in sections which meant that any water that got there would run around the flotation (leaving it dry) and move to the lowest part of the boat. This system seems better than the solid foam technique that can leave the floatation waterlogged.

I'm from the old school in that I firmly believe water should be on the outside of the boat not in. I would seriously look at where the water is leaking: Inspect all fittings. Seal all gaps. Over time a leak around a fitting (besides filling your boat up with water) will cause rot around the opening and in any plywood backing. It also adds a lot of weight to the boat. (A light boat is a happy boat.)

D'Arcy

IP: 64.229.177.186

9.
Ken
Member posted July 09, 2003 09:58 AM               
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My Whale "Gusher" pumps water from the lowest point in the lazarette out through the transom. The laz gets lots of water in it over the season if there's lots's of rain. The water overflows the laz cover when the boat's sitting on an angle on the trailer in spring without a boat cover. This doesn't occur when the boat's sitting on it's lines at the swing mooring. I used to find some water collecting inside the small stb'd aft locker but it was probably due to some small leakage along the top of the companionway batten boards. It remains dry now, summer and winter.

My cockpit floor isn't spongy, but does flex slightly, especially if a person leaps into the boat from the dock. We both weigh 200lbs and the floor does not appear weak! There are tiny hairline cracks in the gelcoat around the edge of the cockpit floor, but you'll see this on most every Sandpiper.
I don't consider it a problem on this boat.

There may be some water in the foam under the cockpit, I have never investigated. There are drain holes in the after end of the two small under-seat lockers in the cabin, which, when the laz is 1/4 full of spring rain water, seems to drain the under cockpit area. They remain totally dry all year, leading me to believe that there is very little water under the cockpit.

It is very important to have proper bedding compound under each deck fitting. We used 3M 4200 sealant everywhere, even under the stainless bow casting there the forestay is attached. (Boy are there lot's of screws up there!) The trick is to apply the bedding, assemble the fitting loosely, wait a few minutes for it to partially set, and then tighten the bolts down. This keeps the stuff in the joint where it does the most good, rather than throwing most of the compound away on the cleanup rag. The sealant is used only outside on the deck, never applied underneath the hole inside the boat.

Earlier Lasers used to have bagged foam floatation, but after experiencing waterlogging, they switched to empty flexible plastic bladders.

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"Never be afraid to try something new: Professionals built the Titanic
And amateurs built the Ark."