coaming installation question

[MrPlywood]

I am in the midst of working on a DS1 that I recently bought, and I'm wondering about reinstalling the coamings. I've taken them off to allow for easier sanding and refinishing. The port and stern coamings came off rather easily. At some point there was silicone sealant applied to the joint where the coaming meets the deck, but that appeared to be more for water control and that the coamings were primarily held on by screws. The starboard coaming appears to have been attached with screws and an adhesive.

If anyone has done this job, I would appreciate knowing what you found when you disassembled, and what you did when you re-installed. I would think that the sealant at the coaming/deck joint would be a good idea, but I'm not sure if actually gluing the coaming to the boat (along with screws) would be overkill or would add to the strength.

Thanks!

[calden]

I did this job last winter/spring.

I cleaned the old screw holes then filled them with a chopstick sanded to the right taper, glued in. When dry I drilled pilot holes for the screws (good time to buy new screws, by the way.)

old coamings:

[thumb=317] [thumb=316]

refinished coamings:
[thumb=283] [thumb=268]

I used Sikaflex 291 to caulk/adhere the coamings. Less permanent than 3m 5200, I used this because the shape of the coamings wasn't exact with the contact surface - a bit of warp, a bit of twist, etc. - and I wanted a nice, snug fit. I was concerned that the warp of the wood would eventually pull on the screws.

Carlos

[Wyatt]

Carlos:

I notice that little knee brace under the forward end of the coaming in your photo. Are yours slightly dry-rotted like mine are ? Is this something to worry about ?

Regards,

Wyatt

[calden]

I poked that brace a bit - the plywood is slighlty delaminating, but overall it feels strong enough. If it saw water every time I'd worry about it, but it feels good enough to me at this point. However I have thought about making new ones and gluing them in. It would be a simple job.

Carlos

[dsheer]

Did the same job as Carlos this spring. Took of the coamings, sanded, and filled the screw holes with wood putty. Then I sealed with teak oil, Let it dry for a week, and finished with Cetol. Cetol seems much less prone to sag and drips than varnish, and the color is very nice as well (did not use the more expensive "light" variety).

I sealed the metal brace under the aft of the cuddy (behind the coaming) with caulk as well to prevent further rust and swelling, and I coated the knees with epoxy sealer to prevent further delamination. I put a bead of silicon caulk on the outside of the comings, and screwed them back on. Then I taped off the seam between the deck and the coaming (both sides, wood and glass) and ran a bead of caulk. I ran my finger along the caulk to remove the excess. Also taped and caulked between the transom and side coamings.

When I removed the tape I had a nice looking seal that has held up through the season. A good bit of work, but it does look good, if I must say so myself.

Good Luck

Dan

[MrPlywood]

Thanks for the info guys. I am finding out — and I'm sure that you know — that one thing leads to another. (Kind of like working on my '69 Triumph GT6).

I stripped the two long coamings, only to realize that they are two different kinds of wood. It was hard to tell with the weathered finish and sun-bleaching, but one is definitely a replacement. Hopefully the new finish will even out the colors a bit.

All my braces are in good shape. I think I will forego the adhesive caulk for now and just reattach with screws. I may decide to paint the deck and/or cut down the coamings for hiking and don't want to remove the adhesive again.

[rossinvrland]

If you don't want to cut/trim back the coamings, there was someone that had posted pictures (I cannot find where just yet) on how they had made padding that sat on the outside of the coamings. This provided for a more comfortable seat, a nice armrest & better floatation. They had held the pads on with straps, but you could use long strips of velcro or snaps to keep them in place. At least you wouldn't have to do any cutting & you leave that cockpit protection in place for the times when you bury-the-rail.
Just a thought...
Ross

[calden]

That was me with the coaming hiking pads. Here's a link for more information:

http://eaglelake1.org/hiking/hiking.html

It makes the boat MUCH more comfortable to sail in. Besides not wanting to cut the coamings because of all the work I did on them, I really don't like the way the boat looks with them cut down.

Carlos