[Rhodes22-list] Time to let it go?

[kg4ezq]

My already rather tired '74 recently ran into some bad luck and I'm looking
for some input on whether or not it's worth repairing her. Obviously we're
all fans of the Rhodes 22 and would hate to see one die, but I'd really
appreciate input from people who have some idea of the work involved in
getting my boat back on the water.

I've had the boat for nearly a year and have sailed almost daily, and easily
more than anyone else in the marina. I feel like I've gotten a lot from the
boat despite the fact that it already had a number of issues when I got it.
The possibly fatal blow came a couple of weekends ago though. I was sailing
in a strong breeze when my forestay failed due to some corrosion that was
hidden by the furler. The extra wires did their job and kept the mast up,
but because the full 175 was unfurled they transferred an immense load to
the cabin top, resulting in hull-deck separation on both sides. There's
about a 6ft area on starboard and 1ft area on port where the deck has come
up visibly.

Additionally the genoa suffered at least $200 worth of damage and the furler
is probably a loss as well. I already have another furler that I was lucky
enough to pick up used, but I'll have to have the sail modified to use it.
The sails are both blown out originals, so it's questionable if it's worth
repairing them instead of replacing them.

I should also add that this is (or possibly was) my first boat and many
other problems existed when I bought it but were invisible to my then
inexperienced eye. I am not a master naval architect by any stretch and most
of these projects will require me to learn new skills.

These additional pre-existing problems also need to be taken into
consideration:

1) The cabin was extensively modified by a previous owner and the bulkhead
for the head was removed, as well as most other woodwork in the cabin. The
bulkhead at the back of the v-berth is also gone, so to my eye the boat
needs some bulkheads restored to add stiffness at a minimum, and perhaps a
complete restoration of the cabin.

2) The previous owner that modified the cabin added a compression post, but
failed to use stainless hardware and the post appears to be in danger of
collapsing. The way it's constructed currently prevents restoration of the
original bulkhead design, so it'll have to be completely re-done.

3) The deck shows signs of stress in various places, including the usual
spider cracks along the benches. The benches were reinforced by the owner I
bought the boat from, and I don't think the cracks are spreading. However,
the pushpit had no backing plates and has pushed through the fiberglass at
two of the mounting points and there are other small areas that need help
around the boat. There's also about a fist sized area in the bulkhead beside
the companionway that appears to have been badly patched and will have to be
reconstructed. This was hidden by an accessory plate until recently. Also, a
previous owner cut holes for speakers in the front of the lazarrette beneath
the benches which in my mind need to be removed and re-sealed before I take
the boat anywhere there's a chance of getting swamped.

4) All of the portlights are in poor condition but thanks to a lot of effort
do not leak.

5) There was recently some hull-deck joint failure at the transom where the
port chainplate was attached, there are now new, longer chainplates which
attach the deck to the hull and the deck-joint has been repaired. However
this combined with the new damage suggests that the entire hull-deck joint
may need to be re-done. I'm not sure this is within my ability.

6) Some of the other rigging is in questionable condition, and after the
trauma of the forestay failure and now that I know some of the wire is not
of the correct type I'm inclined to replace the entire rig.

7) My centerboard often gets stuck up. The prevailing theory is that it may
be bent.

8) The electrical panel was moved to an area that should be covered by the
centerboard trunk step, and so most of the boat will have to be re-wired if
I restore the original design. 

9) The water tank and the plumbing for it is gone or was never installed
despite the fact that a sink with faucet and functioning drain are present.

10) The cockpit floor is unsupported; it looks like someone (factory?) has
added supports to stiffen the floor but these don't actually reach the floor
with the exception of one 4x4 post in the center, which has caused a raised
spot.

11)  Nearly all of the running rigging is chafed and tired and needs to be
replaced.

12) I have some concerns about the state of the coring under the mast step,
and there has been water intrusion along the mast electrical wires at some
point. There are signs of possible deformation from the inside, but this
could also just be variations in the liner. There are no soft spots or
apparent deformation topside.

Of course there are other smaller issues as well, but these are the ones I
think will suck up the most time or money to address. So with all this in
mind, what do you guys think about the viability of restoring this 42 year
old boat?

Thanks in advance for the thoughtful input.

Jason



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