Commander Compression Post Discussions

[John]

Is there anyone on the forum who has removed or repaired the compression post on the Commander?

I am faced with either tearing up the floor or removing a lage section of the cabintop in order to pull the pole out.

[John]

Still no solution in hand, but the boat is in the yard. Because I am a chicken, I am having my glass guy take a look. The step is loose, and I will post pictures tomorrow.

The post is still in place. I am more convinced than ever that the reason the pad is tabbed to to the cabin ceiling is because the post was inserted before the cabin top deck structure was put in place. The tabbing kept the pad in place until the step was bolted to the compression post. I think that if I need to replace the core over the entire area over the post, I will have it done from the top and then be able to place the pad from the top.

[John]

Here is my mast step....before

[John]

The scene of the crime!

[John]

A closer look. It does look like the core has been compromised.

[commanderpete]

The mast step seems to be in very good shape.

The cracks in the deck under it don't look so good. Gotta be a rotten deck.

On the inside, I really don't think your problem has anything to do with the compression post itself. You should be able to chisel out the old wedge-shaped pad at the top of the post and pound a new one into place.

Then re-core the deck leaving the bottom skin in place.

In any event, I took another look at my cabin sole. It looks like there was a seperate section of flooring installed around the post (between the two bilge hatches) about 4 "planks" wide.

This might explain how they installed the post with the deck on.

[John]

CommanderPete,

Yup, that is my conclusion as well. I am still chicken about doing exposed glass work. I glassed in the holes fom my old VDO skeg and Display head, and neither were pretty but they work. It's not that I don't know how to do it but I want to know what the cost is of having it pretty. He has done other work for me and does a very nice job.

When he went over the coach roof, he said it sounded good with the mallet, but that his meter picked up several wet spots. So I am waiting for his quote.

I aw the junction of the floor. I think that they tabbed the pad to the roof simply to keep it from moving around. That way they could pick up the entire roof - deck molding and just drop in place after the did the furniture and placed the post. Just a guess, but it makes sense.