2 monos and a few 2*12s = cat

[CLady]

Consider adding some stiffening in the aft section to reduce the Ball design twisting/flexing in the cockpit/stern area on the 40/41 footers

[ssanzone]

Originally Posted by CLady

Consider adding some stiffening in the aft section to reduce the Ball design twisting/flexing in the cockpit/stern area on the 40/41 footers

By adding stringers all the way to the transom or just bedding up more glass or a port to starboard bulkhead?

If you have done this, what did you find worked best?

Clearly I dont have any obstructions to work around so... whatever is the ideal way to stiffen her up will be easily applied.


-steve

[CLady]

Under the cockpit deck, a new bulkhead between the lazarette sections glassed in above the fuel tank. Getting ready to drop the rudder for new bearings and will look how to reinforce further around there as well. Would also like to put in some stiffening forward to aft from bulkhead behind refrigeration to aft on both sides of engine area. The running backs put on a lot of strain on the aft section of the boat in heavy mixed seas in a twisting motion.

[ssanzone]

I am also interested in your findings around the rudder.

On the original Newport, I moved the motor out from under the galley and into the transom (with sail drive). Without even realizing there was the aforementioned twisting / flexing I installed tic-tack-toe stringers and a bulkhead in the transom. Sounds like it is worth extending the fore-aft strings farther foreward.

-steve

[CLady]

Coming back from Hawaii this summer and ending up in some big crazy seas, 'realized how much the aft twists as the loads shift such as coming off the top of waves at a tight angle with the rig tensioned including the running backs. I'm looking into diagonal stringers to keep the aft area "straight".
The rudder did okay but the load on the cockpit floor fitting under the helm seat
seemed pretty heavy given it holds the top of the rudder post in line with all of the side torque. Nothing broke at all on the boat, she did fine, but it became apparent to look more closely into those areas. I'm not convinced that the cored area that the rudder post/emergency steering fitting bronze collar fitting iis bolted through is structurally solid enough. The gelcoat/fiberglass around the area does not have stress cracks, but the subtle movement around that area in the heavy seas/wind made me make notes to investigate this further when I drop the rudder for bearings.