Wooden Bunk Replacement

[Keith Laser]

The wood bunks on my newly purchased 1981 Com Pac 16 need to be replaced. Does anyone have the measurements for how new ones should be cut? Any recommendations on how to make this task less onerous I would appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks,
Keith Laser

[Ralph Erickson]

Keith, congratulations on your purchase.  You'll love this boat!  I replaced the bunks on my Hutchins trailer 2 years ago, and it was pretty easy and straightforward.  I can't give you the measurements, as I sold my CP16 last month (moved up to a CP19), but I can tell you how I did it. 

I took the "carpet" off the old bunks and used the old bunks as templates to cut the new bunks out of 2 x 4's.  I only needed to make 1 cut for each bunk.  I went to Home Depot and purchased a hunk of outdoor carpeting, and, using the old carpet again as templates, cut new carpet.  I then simply stapled the new carpet onto the new 2x4's using a heavy duty stapler, and screwed the new bunks onto the trailer.  Couldn't have taken more than a couple hours to complete.

Hope this helps!
Ralph

[Keith Laser]

Ralph,

Thanks for the feedback. I probably have the nomenclature wrong. The bunks that I need to replace are in the cabin of the boat that run down below the seats. I think I know how to get them out from info that I got on another post. But I see pictures where they are cut out ready to fiberglass in and my hope is someone has a template or the measurements that I could use to cut the plywood. However, the trailer is pretty ratty and I noted the carpet is coming off on the trailer so I have your info when I tackle that project. Thanks.

I see you are in Macungie. I'm in Sinking Spring near Reading.  Where did you do a lot of your sailing?

Thanks,
Keith

[vanler]

I've replaced mine but I never took measurements.  I was just kind of careful taking them out and then used them as a template to cut the new ones.  They do need to be cut in half to fit through the hatch, but that didn't affect the fit of the bunks I cut. 

If the bunks need to be replaced, you should take a good hard look at the bunk rails and forepeak wood too.  I replaced all the interior wood on my 16' and documented some of it over in my "cp16 refurb in the water" thread.  The bunks are screwed to the bunk rails and glassed to the hull and rear 'bulkhead' and forepeak wood.  I used a good sharp chisel on the glass (carefully!) but only around the forepeak.  Everything else was so damp and rotten I just ripped them out and cut them in half with a hand saw.   

Good luck!

[Pat McL]

Hi Keith

I recently did all the woodwork in the hull. Made some simple measurements on scrap, transferred the lines to 1/8 junk plywood, and finessed them in the boat. Finally transferred these templates to good marine ply and installed. I will try to upload images of these onto the gallery--hope they help   --   Pat

[Paul]

Pat,
I saw the uploaded sketches earlier today.  Thanks for doing that.  I may need the dimensions.

I'm in the middle of the re-fit of the forepeak area.  Tonight, I cut out the bulkhead that the compression post attaches to.  Carefully looked under the bunks.  At first glance, they look alright underneath, but I'll take a better look tomorrow.  Fortunately,  most plywood came out in good chunks that can be placed back together for a template.  Wood had been wet, but the interior has had over a year to dry out, thus far.  So, mostly dry rotted plywood has been found. 

Always hopeful of dipping her in the lake again,

Paul

[Pat McL]

Hi Paul,
Dimensions are rough and were never intended to place on line, but they are accurate if you can figure fore and aft. Go ahead and replace the berths as the ply was not marine grade from Hutchens and will have delaminated in someplaces. Also make sure the comp post is well bedded on solid wood. We got gel cracks around the cabin just from it sitting, mast down, on a rotted post and rotted chain locker for 20 years or so in the yard. All info you need is on the gallery pages. Turned out to be a labor of love for us. Still have many gel problems (cracks & spiders), but will deal with them in July thru Sept, as our comfort zone sailing is not in excess of these 95 degree Fla summers.

We have been sailing almost every week since we launched last Nov, and would rather be sailing than cosmetics on cracks. A few of those days had 20 knot winds gusting to 35. These boats can handle the weather -- we were the only ones still out, having a ball!  K3vin, Skip, Gil, Dale, and Marcus among others here online are a wealth of info -- just ask they will respond.   --- Pat

[Paul]

Pat:

Thanks again.  Still up in the air about the bunks.  Don't want to til I have to.  Yea, the Comp post bolt holes weren't round any more.  Elongated in the direction of gravity.  We have the same cracks, mostly around the hull/deck joint flange.

Keep enjoying her as long as you can for season.  Let us know how the crack repairs go.

Paul