[Rhodes22-list] Compression Post and Head Door Problems

Tue Feb 23 23:03:40 EST 2021

Wow! Incredible detail. Your pictures and descriptions are immensely helpful - thank you! You put in a lot of work, but the final product looks really nice. I'm hoping this won't be too involved as I'm ready to get on the water.

Your wood under the subfloor looks a completely different color than mine. What I can see appears on my boat, the plywood seems to be identical to what you can purchase ate Home Depot - the external plywood with the greenish tint. I do hope it's a marine grade, though.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of Graham Stewart
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 8:28 PM
To: 'The Rhodes 22 Email List' <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Compression Post and Head Door Problems

Allyn:

I have attached a few photos that might be helpful. There is no documentation per se although the archives include , as I recall, some pictures and descriptions that might be useful. From what I have seen through previous correspondence is that no two boats were alike. For some the step below the post was wood, some have a cement pad while I have a combination of plywood over a stack of iron bars covered with a skin of fiberglass. I have attached two pictures of my boat stripped of floor boards showing the block of iron bars. There was plywood between that block and the floor. It appears that others hae no step at all with the post going right through the flor to the bilge. In any event, it should be pretty obvious once you get access. Let us know what you find.

In my case removing the post was easy. There was/is a plywood ring that went around the post and was screwed to the liner at the top. The post is held in place at the bottom with a single screw. Once removed and the step was replaced I had a devil of a time getting the post back in place perhaps because the cabin top had dropped slightly or because the floor was a bit higher. I had to trim about 1/8" off the post to reinstall it.

I found a picture of the bottom of the post before it was repaired. You can see the screw that held the post in place as well as the sag in the floor under the post. The sag isn't all that great but enough to require repair. 
A previous owner had replaced all of the floor boards with 3/4" plywood that was solid but did not replace the step - hence the sag.

I ended up replacing the entire subfloor structure in my boat as well as the stringers, framing, bulkheads etc. It was a complete gut. Hopefully that will not be necessary in your case. Whatever you put under the post be sure to epoxy and wood to ensure it does not rot in the future. The last photo was after the repair was completed along with the replacement of the subfloor structure. If the only problem is the compression post step, none of this would be necessary in your case.

Graham Stewart
gstewart8 at cogeco.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Allyn Baskerville
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 7:18 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Compression Post and Head Door Problems

Thanks, Graham for your input. I do have a question remaining. Is there any documentation for removing the compression post with the mast down? I can't figure out how the top and bottom are connected.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of Graham Stewart
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 8:53 AM
To: 'Mark West' <keywestseccorp at verizon.net>; 'The Rhodes 22 Email List' <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Compression Post and Head Door Problems

Mark makes what is perhaps obvious but a crucial comment.  Fix the base while the mast is down and make sure that when the mast is raised next that the tension in your rig is no more than necessary. Follow Stan's instructions in this regard.

Graham Stewart
10 South B Edgewood Rd.
RR #3 Bath ON
K0H 1G0

gstewart8 at cogeco.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Mark West via Rhodes22-list
Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 9:20 AM
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Compression Post and Head Door Problems

I would check for wood rot under post. Post sets on 3/4 ply under the ply in a  concreate ballast no gaps between I use a  ratcheting cargo bar to lift /support while repairing,  harbor freight  35.00  I Assume your running rigging is tuned properly not to taught  Mark 

-----Original Message-----
From: Allyn Baskerville <allynb at adsne.com>
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tue, Feb 23, 2021 8:47 am
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

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