During the past season, Mekicevica's cockpit sole started to make creaky noises when we step in. At the same time some small hair-cracks appeared. Solving this problem was one of the priorities of the maintenance season.
The first step was inspecting the cockpit sole from below, which involved removing the shelving under the companionway. It turned-out that the cockpit sole is reinforced by three glassed-in, transversal wooden-beams. Suspecting one of these might be cracked causing the noises, I sanded-out the fibreglass covering them. No easy task, since they are in a position very difficult to access. After all this trouble, I found the beams in perfect condition. I guess they just creak in the way an old, wooden floor creaks. So I re-covered the beams with woven glass and epoxy, repaired the cracks from the outside with the same material, and decided not to worry with the noises. I'll just keep an eye on any other cracks that may develop.
