[C38] Cracks by Stem Fitting

Fri Sep 6 14:16:11 EDT 2013

Thanks Kerry.  Will do.     Ray

On Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 10:56 AM, littlebreeze at comcast.net <
littlebreeze at comcast.net> wrote:

> Ray, can you send photos to the email addresses of the guys who responded
> to your post.  Don't sent them to the list serve.
>
> Kerry
> Littlebreeze, 139
>
>
> Sent from the San Francisco Bay, home of the 2013 Catalina 38 Nationals.
>
>
> ----- Reply message -----
> From: "Ray Torok" <torok13731 at gmail.com>
> To: "Catalina 38 Listserve" <listserve at catalina38.org>
> Subject: [C38] Cracks by Stem Fitting
> Date: Fri, Sep 6, 2013 09:52
>
>
> Chuck.  Ha!  You're one of those glass-is-half-full guys.  I hope you're
> right.  Thanks again.
>
> Ray
> Thira  #37
> San Francisco
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 9:41 AM, Charles Finn <charles at finn.ws> wrote:
>
>>  Ray,
>> It actually is quite common for the gelcoat to crack with no structural
>> problems.  Gelcoat is very brittle, while laid up glass has a much greater
>> modulus of elasticity (one of reasons it works so well in boatbuilding).
>>
>>
>> Chuck Finn
>> Mighty Quinn #114
>> Great Lakes
>>
>>
>> On 9/6/2013 12:35 PM, Ray Torok wrote:
>>
>> Thanks Chuck,
>>
>>  I see no evidence of cracking inside the hull, so there is hope.
>>  However, it's hard to understand how the glass up there can move enough to
>> crack on the outside, without the crack extending into the glass.  You're
>> right.  I need to get out the grinder.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 6, 2013 at 9:30 AM, Charles Finn <charles at finn.ws> wrote:
>>
>>>  Ray,
>>> Obviously there is more to this as you just did some kind of repair for
>>> some reason.  The best way to find if there is a problem is to discover
>>> whether the cracks are superficial or structural.  Take a small grinder,
>>> mototool, or even a screw driver and gouge the gelcoat out of the cracks.
>>> IF the crack does not extend into the glass, you fix the gelcoat and call
>>> it a day.  IF the crack extends into the glass, then you have a structural
>>> repair which will require you to first cut out and then rebuild.   Here is
>>> hoping this is superficial!
>>>
>>> Chuck Finn
>>> Mighty Quinn  #114
>>> Great Lakes
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9/6/2013 12:21 PM, Ray Torok wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Steve,
>>>
>>>  I have a backstay tensioner, but it's only on when we're sailing.
>>>  When the boat's at the dock, the backstay is left on just enough to keep
>>> the headstay from flopping around.
>>>
>>>  Latest theory is that when I replaced the two bolts that anchor the
>>> stem fitting to the deck (a few weeks ago), there was enough slop in the
>>> bolt holes that when the headstay was tensioned, the fiberglass in the deck
>>> was loaded in compression until the stem fitting moved back just a little
>>> to where the two bolts and the stainless stem fitting picked up the load
>>> again. If that's what happened, the cracking in the fiberglass shouldn't
>>> get any worse.  Does that sound believable?
>>>
>>>  Thanks,
>>>
>>>  Ray
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Sep 5, 2013 at 10:48 PM, Steve Smolinske <
>>> SSmolinske at rainierrubber.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>  Ray,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Do you have a backstay tensioner that is left on?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* listserve-bounces at catalina38.org [mailto:
>>>> listserve-bounces at catalina38.org] *On Behalf Of *Ray Torok
>>>> *Sent:* Thursday, September 05, 2013 5:56 PM
>>>> *To:* Catalina 38 Listserve
>>>> *Subject:* [C38] Cracks by Stem Fitting
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Esteemed C38 Gurus:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hoping you can help advise on my latest old boat issue.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I have some cracks showing up (and growing) on the outside of the hull
>>>> in the few inches between the ends of the toe rails and the headstay stem
>>>> fitting.  The cracks are horizontal and about 3 inches long. On one side
>>>> the crack is about 1 inch below the deck.  On the other it is right at the
>>>> edge of the deck.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It appears that the headstay load is pulling the bow upward, and the
>>>> last few inches of the bow doesn't have the toe rail and bolted
>>>> hull-to-deck joint of the rest of the boat, so it's bending a bit and the
>>>> fiberglass is cracking. On the inside, the heavy stainless backing plate
>>>> for the strap running down the stem also stops several inches short of the
>>>> bow, and that may be a contributing factor.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I'm wondering if this is a problem with the early boats (mine is hull
>>>> #37) that they fixed at some point. Any thoughts on known or proposed fixes
>>>> would be appreciated.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Thanks much,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ray Torok
>>>>
>>>> THIRA
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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