First 40.7

My name is Claes Nettelbladt and I owe 40.7 no 577 and I sail it from Stockholm in the Baltic.

I have had a problem, which I think all other 40.7-owners should look at on their boats.

The anchorwell is built by three bulkheads - all in plywood. On my boat I was surprised by the fact that after some upwind sailing my matresses in the bow always became wet. I looked under the bed and found a lot of water in the forward compartment. And it was easy to note that it came out from a small hole in the bottom of the bulkhead. So I cut a 10 cm hole in the bulkhead and al lot of water came flowing out. The compartment between the second and third bulkhead (counted from the bow) was almost filled with water and the bulkhead was almost rotten (after three seasons of each 7 months in the water - it's frozen here the rest of the year).

With Beneteaus repairguy we found out that there was a small hole in the glassfibrebonding at the bottom of the anchorwell. It is obviously very difficult to get the glasfibre an polyesterresin down to the botton of the well. After cutting bulkhead three (the one next to your feet when you lay on the bed) out, we found that the big well angled bulkhead number two was even more rotten and also had to be removed.

Beneteau didn't seem surprised, as they send us new bulkheads without delay. But I didn't want another rotten plywoodbulkhead, so I laminated a 10 mm new lower part of bulkhead two with glassfibremat and polyester on a flat mould. The repairguy then bonded it and bulkhead three onto their places. At last I cut a 10 cm hole in bulkhead three and screwed a plastic vent on it, so that the otherwise completely sealed compartment between bulkhead two and three now can be examind for new leaks and the compartment now also is ventilated.

So I would strongly advise, that 40.7-owners make a hole in the lower - from inside the boat visible bulkhead - to control if there has been a leak. With a cheap plastic vent covering the hole, they will get ventilation in the otherwise sealed compartment. So it is any way an improvement of the yacht. And racing with 50 litres of water in the bow is not such a good idea.

Greetings from a cold and snowy Stockholm

Claes Nettelbladt / SWE 577

Claes Nettelbladt wrote:
(after three seasons of each 7 months in the water - it's frozen here the rest of the year).

Claes Nettelbladt / SWE 577

Hi Claus, Is it not possible that the extreme cold condition could have been the cause of this problem? Any dampness when frozen tends to expand and crack Paint and Glasfibre, especially on the surface, letting in more water when the thaw sets in.

I have personally never heard of this problem with any of the 40.7 that I am aware of, although I will check out the bulkhead next weekend as you suggest. I hope I am not greeted by 50 Liters of North Sea when I take the drill out! -

First 40.7 Distinction, Naughty Lady
GER 5413 ( Hull No.590)