Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

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Mcguffin
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Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by Mcguffin »

I'm working on my friend's newly acquired PDQ 36.

We found quite a bit of water under the berths apparently from Hurricane Irma, as there was no water found when the survey was done a few months prior to the storm. It wasn't obvious how the water got there as there were no trails from above. There was broken tabbing under the plywood but no glass on the wood itself. The tabbing was unattached the entire length of the berths on both sides of the bulkhead. Is that by design or did it come loose?

My main question is why wasn't the partition between the berths glassed to the bridge deck? Was it because it would create a hard spot? If so, could it be done with a foam fillet? The core does not appear to be solid in that area of the bridge deck so maybe it is designed to float although it's obvious it has oil canned and the plywood has some rot and delamination from water damage.

There is an athwartship crack under the mast, which also needs attention, though it does not appear to be the cause of the leak. Has anyone experienced this problem?

It sounds like other owners have had leaks from the baby stay, which I'll inspect. The prior owner thinks water could be coming in from the midships forward locker, which has a leaky gasket and had water in the bottom of the locker. He thinks there is a space at the top of that locker that could be the cause of the leak.

Any insights into pinning down the cause of the leak and why the bulkhead is not firmly glassed to the bridge deck would be much appreciated.

Also, where can I an owner's manual for the PDQ 36?
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windrush
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Re: Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by windrush »

this link will take you to PDQ.com where there are manuals and a wealth of other info. Good luck, all the best and enjoy the PDQ!
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windrush
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Re: Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by windrush »

oops... here's the link http://www.pdq36.com/
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chicagocat
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Re: Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by chicagocat »

I'll post more about this when I'm not on the iPhone. But 2 quick thoughts:
1) this problem is almost certainly a leak at the baby stay. Feel the area where the chain stay bolts to the bulkhead between bunks. It's usually on the starboard side of the bulkhead and you have to reach up there. Is it rotted?
2) yes, there should be tabbing attaching the bulkhead between bunks to the bunk itself.
PDQ 36052 - 1996 LRC - "Anne Z" - Chicago
and 2001 PDQ 36 Classic (Tall Rig)- "Cat Tales" - Punta Gorda, FL
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SecondWind
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Re: Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by SecondWind »

Check inside of the fiberglass crossbeam where the trampoline attaches. There should be access ports in each of the forward lockers. There have been leaks through the attachment rail of the trampoline.
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Re: Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by James Power »

The bridge deck in the cabin area should be firmly tabbed to the 2 plywood bulkheads. If not the bridge deck will oil can as you mentioned and cause some serious damage. I repaired this issue on a 36 years ago while with PDQ. We used epoxy for the repair as it has better penetration and adhesion to the plywood than the GP polyester resin that was originally used.
Sourcing out the deck leak is paramount before any repairs are started. The baby stay is a usual suspect but also look at the deck hatches and mast base area, especially after some horizontal rain from Irma.

Hope this helps
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Re: Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by Mcguffin »

The leak is the baby stay but getting to it on this model is not easy .

I had to remove most of the forward interior on both sides. Shelves , vinal trim, carpet, paneling , plywood spacers (rotten), and sound insulation all covered the AC plywood bulkhead . The bulkhead is not damaged much since the water ran down the taped area but the tabbing is completely broken from the bridge deck. I'll cut that away and glass with epoxy.

When it goes back together it will have a corner piece that will be removable for future access.

Thanks for all your input.
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Re: Question about tabbing under bulkhead between berths

Post by chicagocat »

Yup, that's it. The whole thing is a sandwich, with the true bulkhead in the middle, lead lined foam insulation on either side of that, then thin plywood for the outer part (the part you can actually touch while laying in the bunk). I've replaced the outer thin plywood with that thin white plastic sheeting from HD. It's not structural in any way, and if it gets wet you just wipe it off. Make it easy to remove the outer sheets to check in the future. Paint everything on the bulkhead with epoxy, including brushing the bolt holes with epoxy, so any leaks in the future won't rot the wood. Use a flexible sealant under the baby stay plate (I've been through this twice, and silicone is better than 4200, since its more flexible, and adhesive properties are completely unimportant). That's all I can think of right now. I have some pictures I'll try to dig up. Good luck.
PDQ 36052 - 1996 LRC - "Anne Z" - Chicago
and 2001 PDQ 36 Classic (Tall Rig)- "Cat Tales" - Punta Gorda, FL
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