[Rhodes22-list] Compression Post and Head Door Problems

[Graham Stewart]

Allyn:

Check under the floor below the compression post. It is not uncommon with
older boats, including mine, for the structure (it varies by boat) to give
way. As that happens the post drops. You might be able to actually see where
the floor boards immediately under the post as sagging.

A longer post will not fix the problem. Instead the structure under the
floor boards needs to be rebuilt.

Hopefully this is not the problem as it can be a PITA to fix. You might be
able to arrest the movement temporarily by driving a shim between the
structure and the floorboard under the compression post but if the structure
is giving way (rotting wood or possibly crumbling cement) it will need to be
replaced.

Graham Stewart
Agile, Rodes 22, 1976
Kingston Ontario





-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of
Allyn Baskerville
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 8:47 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Compression Post and Head Door Problems

Hopefully, I can describe this adequately. I took pictures a couple weeks
ago, but they have disappeared off my phone. As last year progressed, it
became increasingly difficult to get the head door opened as it would hang
on the stop that's mounted to the floor. I have to pry the door up toward
the center of the cabin to get it open (I keep my fishing poles in there). I
noticed that as the door hung more and more, the ¼" plywood forward the
compression post would bow out a little more as the year progressed, and
currently it's probably bowed out about 1/8" past the compression post
toward the center of the post.

I'm not sure why this is happening, but I sailed typically 2 days/week last
year with several in 20+ mph winds. I did notice the compression post is
mounted on top of the vinyl flooring, so I'm not sure if this is a factor.

  1.  I'm debating putting in a slight longer and sturdier compression post.
I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.
  2.  I'm not sure how the compression post is removed, though, so if anyone
can shed some light on this, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks, all.

Allyn