Maine Cat Owners: 2 questions?

[drechsel]

I am looking at a 1998 Maine Cat 30.
a. The Seller is representing that there is a leak in the seal between the 'stair insert' in the port aft hull and the hull. This is allowing water into a compartment in the aft hull. They are representing that the fix is to remove the 'stair insert' and reattach with caulk/glue/sealant because the current job has failed.

Q: Does this seem structurally correct? Is this piece a non structural insert?

Q: is there a bulkhead ahead of it?
Q: is the cause of the failure caulk/glue/sealant failure or hull flex?

Q: if flex, is it unexpected?
Q: Anyone seen this in other MC 30 hulls?
b. The Seller is representing that the hot water system is 'solar' in that there is a clear lexan panel above a water tank forward of the mast. Seller represents that this heats and is pumped via the pressure water system as the hot water. No other hot water system on the boat. I can find no reference to this in any of the MC30 marketing materials over the years.
Q: anyone ever heard of this/ have it on their boat?
Thank you in advance.

[Sparx]

This reply assumes the stairs you are referring to are at the very aft end of the hull. It is these stairs one might use to step off the boat into a dinghy. This reply is not addressing the stairs from the saloon down into the hull.

In general the Maine Cat boats are well built. Maine Cat was quite skilled at infusion molding using vinyl ester over foam core.

In other Maine Cat models the stairs are built directly into the bottom component of the hull, the hull being formed by gluing together a top and bottom to form a complete unit. I am running with the thought that the Maine Cat 30 might have the stairs as a separate component glued into the hull.

This stair area is a valuable structural component and there should not be any noticeable flex in this part of the boat. I believe there is a bulkhead not far forward of the stairs, which you will want to inspect.

Presuming the stairs were well glued in place when the boat was new, then how did the seal come to fail is an important question. Was there some strong force that flexed the hull, or delamination of the hull? You will want to look carefully to evaluate the root cause.

Once the cause of the joint failure is known then repair is straightforward, but the scope will need to address the root cause. Everything back here is fully repairable. If there is structural damage to the hull itself then repairs will be more extensive, but quite doable, either by a skilled owner or any decent fiberglass shop.

If the root cause is simply failure of the original glue then my approach would be to cut the stairs out using a grinder or saw. Then after cleaning up the glue joint surfaces reinstall the stair using 3M 5200 or a well chosen vinyl ester adhesive putty. Clean up will be simple if the surrounding surfaces were taped prior to opening the glue. Keeping these adhesives off where they are not wanted is probably the biggest challenge. This is a one day job for someone familiar with boat repair.

Or one could also just squirt some 5200 where one thinks the leak might be and hope for the best…

However before busting out the grinder or opening a tube of 5200 my approach would be to confirm the leak is coming from the glued joint. The glues used at time of build were intended to last a very long time, as such a failure here while possible is somewhat unlikely. It is possible the leak is coming from somewhere else such an a near by hull penetration and then showing itself at the glue joint. For example a lifeline stantion or the lazarette deck hatch.

When installing deck penetrations Maine Cat did not consistently overbore and fill the bolt holes. It is normal that over time any minor leak from a hole penetration will migrate inside the laminate and eventually run down hill to find a place to exit the laminate. This could easily look like a leak at the stair to hull joint, but actually originate from a deck penetration uphill of there. I would absolutely address this FIRST before doing the other above stair reflux.

The fix is to remove the suspect bolt(s), drill out the foam core (drill from the inside of the hull), fill the hole with epoxy, then when cured drill a hole just right size for the bolt, and finally reinstall the bolt using an appropriate deck bedding compound. Again easy work but somewhat tedious.

[Sparx]

The Maine Cat 30’s generally were not equipped with hot water systems. Many owners heat their water on the stove or use a sun shower bag sitting on the deck. The system you describe sounds like an owner installed feature.

Of concern for any hot water system on a MC30 is the small (30-40 gallons) water tank. Generally on boats with such limited water tanks hot running water is not a priority. Add a water maker and the calculus changes.