Commander Compression Post Discussions

[commanderpete]

That does have the general look of water damage.

What troubles me is that the tabbing has not only seperated from the pad, but has dropped down below the level of the pad.

It may be more than the pad getting rotten and squished. The deck core may also have gotten soft and the two skins are crushed together.

I would go ahead and cut away the tabbing, which serves no real purpose anyway. I would also drill some test borings into the underside of the deck. Just carefully pierce the lower skin and see if the drill produces balsa shavings or mush. The area between the pad and the forward hatch hinges would be most suspect.

Scrape the paint off the metal plate and see what's going on there.

Not much else you can do until the mast is unstepped.

I still wouldn't consider any of this to be a safety issue.

I have a bit of concern about the compression post on my boat. The steel is partially corroded where the post goes through the cabin sole. I don't know how to fix it, so I'm gonna ignore it.

[John]

CommanderPete,

I had some soft spots fixed around the forward port 14 years ago. Maybe it's time to do it again? My mast covers the mount but my recollection is that the bolts are what keeps everything from moving. It sounds like you have not removed the compression post either. I am thinking I might take my calipers and measure the amount of crush by the washer. If part of that is mast load, then it should recover some with the mast down.

Did they just take some wetted out cloth and lay it down over the pad?? I am trying to imagine the process of installing the post. I bet it was done before the floor was in. Your post is right on the seam.

Btw, what did you use on the floor? It looks great.

[commanderpete]

I can't figure out how they installed that post, unless they put it in before the deck went on top.

The pad just had some layers of glass wrapped around it and stuck to the ceiling/ bottom skin. Its certainly not needed to keep the pad in place.

The cabin sole is finished with Gymseal nonskid varnish. Good traction, wet or dry.

[John]

My post has a trim ring that sits at floor level, but essentially is the same as yours. I pulled at the tabbing and that washer appears to be at least 1/4 in. That is an unscientific estimate. And dusty crud came out. Trouble in River City.

Do I take a saw and cut out the pad. I looked at the floor this weekend to see if I could pull those two center planks, and that may be possible. One thought I had was to turn the pad very slightly oversize and then make a diagonal cut through the center. You could tap that in and fill it...I dunno. I keep hoping someone has done this and will speak up.

We had nice sails on Saturday and Sunday, but the winds were strange. Saturday I looked at the weather bouy on Stillwagen Bank and it was seeing 12-13 knots with gusts up to 16 kn. When we got out there about 2 PM, it was 5-7 knots but from the South. Sunday it was blowing a bit harder and from the E x SE and we got hit by a squall. Went back to Manchester under the main at 5 + kn. With lumps from Francis at 2-3 ft. Who needs roller coasters.