Repair of cockpit coaming side pocket?

[peaman]

My 1987 32-3 has a pocket in the starboard coaming, intended, apparently, for storage of winch handle, bilge pump handle, sunscreen or whatever (see image below). The pocket itself appears to be made of a formed plastic, certainly not fiberglass, which has since deteriorated with exposure to sun light. The pocket is integral to the glass which forms the coaming, so cannot be removed without cutting. Likewise, the wood trim appears to be permanently attached. In the image, you can see a crack along the length of the pocket which hasn't affected the utility of the pocket, but it does let water pass through, and it looks like the bottom could eventually give way.

I wonder if any here have any good thoughts on how to improve and preserve the integrity of the pocket without making a major project of it. I'm not keen on lining it with fiberglass cloth, and I'm not sure resin would adhere to the plastic anyway.

 

[Bolo]

The coming pocket on my E32-3 was cracked and leaking so I glassed the bottom and sides of the outside of the pocket from inside of the lazarette. Not an easy task mind you but doable.

 

[nquigley]

The coming pocket on my E32-3 was cracked and leaking so I glassed the bottom and sides of the outside of the pocket from inside of the lazarette. Not an easy task mind you but doable.

I did the same. It's held up well for at least 10 years.

 

[Christian Williams]

Yes, Wynner, there is resin in your hair in the near future. Applying the layer of glass cloth to the underside of the deteriorated plastic box is awkward and messy. I cut a suitable plastic placemat to cover the repair on the inside, which also protects it from UV.

But at least you won't have to try to recreate the wood surround.

E32-3 - Cockpit Coaming Pocket Trim Piece

The teak surround of the cockpit coaming locker is a simple yet confounding piece of trim. For three years mine defied improvement by sanding, gluing, bleaching and oiling. It was built of teak scraps in the Ericson woodshop, no doubt on a...

ericsonyachts.org

My current boat has a Sunbrella cover on all the time, fastened only at the top. It just lifts up to stuff stuff into the pocket and protects contents and varnish from the sun.

 

[Bolo]

My additionAl advice, if you’re going to glass the outside of the pocket then wear an OLD baseball cap, with the brim turned backwards so you can see, then throw it away after you’re done cause you’ll probably have epoxy and fiberglass strands stuck to it.

 

[Loren Beach]

Consider acquiring a "professional grade" reusable painter suit. Cheap ones are under $20. and the better ones are over $50. I used to consider these kind of an affectation for occasional amateur use, but totally changed my mind after working with a pro ship wright for almost a year on our re-fit. I used up one cheaper one after a few months and then bought a better one which I still have and use. It's a light weight woven fabric and breathes some, also.

With the hood pulled tight and good safety goggles on you can safely work around messy resins. It's great to be able to peel off the disposable gloves and unzip and exit the suit at the end of the day's work. And.... avoid resin and glues or varnishes on your clothing. One a warm day, wear short pants underneath.
A painting project at home or a need to spray some bug killer or weed killer is another time when the suit will protect you.

 

[bigd14]

wear an OLD baseball cap,

Wish I had taken your advice when repairing the under side of the side decks, I ended up with “extra firm hold” hair gel. Lasted for weeks!

 

[cruis-n]

A couple of years ago I finally gave up and replaced the whole mess with a new box.
https://www.westmarine.com/sail-systems-plastic-coaming-box-w-fiddle-212993.html
There is a bit of curvature on the surface so gradually screwed it down over a couple of weeks and used butyl tape to seal it.
It took a bit of cutting with a dremel.
You can add a canvas cover if you'd like. I didn't. We did make one for the original box to protect the varnish. Unfortunately, it didn't prevent the plastic box from disintegrating.
I did add a small drain in the back corner with a tube that exits in the lazarette edge where the lid fits.

 

[peaman]

From the alluring descriptions of applying glass to the outside of the pocket while working within the cramped quarters of the starboard locker, I was certainly tempted to don my oldest ball cap and jump right in. But then again….

It’s been some time since I worked with fiberglass, and it was never pleasant for me, maybe because I expected too much. For this project, I first used aluminum adhesive tape - the kind commonly used with foil surfaced insulation - and I wrapped the outside of the box to pretty much seal the cracks. Then, working from the cockpit, I laid in a single piece of glass cloth 7”x11” which covered the bottom and up a couple of inches on the vertical back wall of the pocket, using polyester resin. No issues at all. A couple of days later I sanded and prepped the entire interior for a couple of coats of white Brightsides polyurethane, and the pocket looks great. Before all of that, I was able to carefully remove the teak frame which I have refinished with Cetol and will soon bed with Dolfinite so it can be removed in future as needed.

 

[nukey99]

Ours has a vhf radio mounted inside it, which I find to be a very convenient location. It has sunbrella cover over it when we are not using the boat.

 

[Kenneth K]

I don't seal around the wood trim ring when I put it back on. I just keep the trim on for the summer months, then remove it again in October.