Cal 25 deck

I have Cal 25, #1841, whose deck is sound, but the area between the front of the main hatch and the rear cabin bulkhead next to the main hatch on each side sags so that water collects between the hatch and the rails that run along each side of the hatch. I presume the weight of the hatch cover has pushed it down over the boat's 31 years. I would like to either shore up the cabin top beside the hatch opening or, perhaps drill a limber hole in the rail on each side to allow the water to drain. Or should I just leave it as is? Any thoughts? Thanks. Craig Blackstock Cal 25 #1841

Craig - Are you sure that its not the pressure from the mast deflecting the beam that runs across the top of the main bulkhead? That is a hard but do-able fix. Go to www.cal25.com and click Tech Stuff and then mast base repair. The example cited is extreme, but yours may be starting. Or the rig may just be too tight. If its just water collecting in a slight depression, what I'm going to do next time is put a couple of SS washers between the splash rail and the deck (sealed well, of course). That will allow water to drain out along the length of the rail. Al 1974 Cal25 #1693, "Sweet Mary" 1985 Cal33-2 #0026, "Short Wave"

Hi, Craig. I'll get back to you fuller answer soon. There are a number of factors. Mostly, these wer based on the fact that original owners did not know the proper caulk and seal points in the boat. First need to ask you about other symptoms. Is the deck soft in the areas next to the main hatch. Not likely it was hatch pressure. The teak beams are supposed to cover for that. The limber holes are a very good idea. I'll get back. By the way, you have one of the last CAL 25s (flat deck) built. Number tells me you are East Coast. I am presently doing some rebuild on hull 1845. These are among the few 25s built in 1977. Was your boat raced? Is the deck clear or full of hardware? We have documents on deck, beam, pedestal, and other work. Cheers Charlie Husar 3 CAL 25s and a CAL 40 (long story) Annapolis, MD From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Craig Blackstock Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 5:47 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [Cal_Boats] Cal 25 deck I have Cal 25, #1841, whose deck is sound, but the area between the front of the main hatch and the rear cabin bulkhead next to the main hatch on each side sags so that water collects between the hatch and the rails that run along each side of the hatch. I presume the weight of the hatch cover has pushed it down over the boat's 31 years. I would like to either shore up the cabin top beside the hatch opening or, perhaps drill a limber hole in the rail on each side to allow the water to drain. Or should I just leave it as is? Any thoughts? Thanks. Craig Blackstock Cal 25 #1841 Yahoo! Groups Links

Thanks, Charlie and Al, for your responses. The deck is not soft anywhere. I have tapped the underside of the deck everywhere it is solid except for a little rot in small circles around the chainplates. I've dealt with that initially by properly sealing the chainplates and will repair those areas by cutting them out and replacing them. They are not nearly large enough to warrant replacing the entire overhead. I have pulled the trim pieces away from the fore and aft sides of the beam. I have some rot in the outboard ends of the beam, but the beam inboard of twelve inches on each side is solid. There were a couple of soft places in the main bulkhead, but I've dealt with that. Al, the mast beam has about 3/8" of deflection in the center. I bought the boat a year ago and the rig was bar tight, way too tight. I don't believe the beam deflection is the cause of the sag along the sides of the hatch. Charlie, the deck has had no holes drilled in it anywhere near the hatch. The only holes not factory are on the foredeck where the previous owner put some anchor chocks and there seems to be no leakage around them. The previous owner had the sliding portion of the main hatch cover rebuilt and it seems heavy, probably thirty-five or forty pounds. For a thirty year old boat, I guess it is in reasonably good shape, but it does need some TLC. You are right about the previous owners not properly sealing things, at least with regard to the chain plates. Charlie, the boat was in Annapolis before it was moved to New Bern, NC, about four or five years ago when the previous owner retired. When I bought my first keel boat in 1975 I looked at Cal 25s but bought something else. A year ago and three boats later, I decided a Cal 25 was a boat I'd like to have so I found this one. I trailered it to Keystone Lake in Oklahoma where it now resides. I like the fact that it is basic boat - such as no hull liner and external halyards. What you see is what you get. I've replaced the standing rigging, sealed with fiberglass and epoxy several places along the interior of the hull to deck joint where it leaked, and reinforced the transom where the motor clamps to the boat. Now I just need to deal with a some problems like the beam ends and with a few cosmetic issues, like peeling interior paint. The boat sails well. Thanks again, Charlie and Al, for your comments and help. Craig Cal 25 #1841 --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Husar, Charlie" <husar_charlie@...> wrote: > > Hi, Craig. I'll get back to you fuller answer soon. There are a number > of factors. Mostly, these wer based on the fact that original owners > did not know the proper caulk and seal points in the boat. First need > to ask you about other symptoms. Is the deck soft in the areas next to > the main hatch. Not likely it was hatch pressure. The teak beams are > supposed to cover for that. The limber holes are a very good idea. > I'll get back. > > By the way, you have one of the last CAL 25s (flat deck) built. Number > tells me you are East Coast. I am presently doing some rebuild on hull > 1845. These are among the few 25s built in 1977. > > Was your boat raced? Is the deck clear or full of hardware? We have > documents on deck, beam, pedestal, and other work. > > Cheers > Charlie Husar > 3 CAL 25s and a CAL 40 (long story) > Annapolis, MD > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On > Behalf Of Craig Blackstock > Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 5:47 PM > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Cal_Boats] Cal 25 deck > > I have Cal 25, #1841, whose deck is sound, but the area between the > front of the main hatch and the rear cabin bulkhead next to the main > hatch on each side sags so that water collects between the hatch and the > rails that run along each side of the hatch. I presume the weight of > the hatch cover has pushed it down over the boat's 31 years. I would > like to either shore up the cabin top beside the hatch opening or, > perhaps drill a limber hole in the rail on each side to allow the water > to drain. Or should I just leave it as is? Any thoughts? Thanks. > > Craig Blackstock > Cal 25 #1841 > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links >