It only flexes when you step on it.

Sep 12, 2013
76
Catalina 22 Dillon, CO
I read alot about avoiding a boat with a soft deck. Well, too bad for me, I guess. My fore deck is soft as a pillow. The head liner inside over the V berth is sagging slightly.
How bad is this? Is it structural or just anoying?
I have read about cutting out the top and digging out the old plywood and epoxying in a new piece, sounds terribly ugly. I even saw a few refferences to turning the boat over and doing it from inside, (thats not going to happen).
Water must have caused the wood to rot, but the interior is nice and dry.
How big a deal is this?
1974 Catalina 22.
 
Apr 11, 2012
324
Cataina 400 MK II Santa Cruz
How big of an area are you dealing with, and how close to structural members? The actual replacement of a piece of deck is a job that a "handy" person can do, and make it look quite nice.
 
Aug 11, 2011
759
catalina 22 Islamorada
I don't want to be Debbie downer but yah pretty serious in my opinion.

Depends on what your plans are for the boat.

It's yours now. If your keepin it then ur gonna need to cut it out and from the sounds of it your gonna learn a whole lot about marine plywood and fiberglass work.

You can look it up and not sure I trust the product but the concept seems to be worth a second look but it's an epoxy resin product that comes with a large syringe and you drill a hole and fill the interior void with the epoxy apparently and most likely a lot of holes. Again duno if it works very well but would be an easy start point.

Second option duno what the budget is but take all your stuff off buy another boat maybe even find a solid boat that's missing a mast something missing the mast would probably be free.

Look on creigs list they pop up now and then and then take the best of both boats to make one good one.

Sorry bout the best I can do for ya.
 
Apr 1, 2010
398
Cal 33 and Sea Pearl 21 . Crystal River, FL
do searches on the internet and decide for yourself is the best option. i am in the same situation and what i came up with was that it will vary boat to boat and depend on where the rot is. the key components of structure are anywhere that a stay or shroud mounts and the mast step. if any of those are rotten then you have a big problem. if (like in my case) all of those components bolt to the actual hull, through non-cored areas, and the mast step area is solid then from what i can gather is that it is ok to sail, just not in a blow! it is true that the deck does provide support to keep the hull from "squishing" from the shrouds pulling it together, but (at least in my case) the glass that is there would be strong enough for this duty.

do keep in mind though that any that is bolted in these rotten areas needs GOOD backing plates... otherwise it may pull through the deck. for mine, i built a very rudimentary brace out of 2x4s to brace the roof over the v berth from flexing so much when i walk on it...

honestly though, i would research and decide for yourself
 
Sep 12, 2013
76
Catalina 22 Dillon, CO
Good info, but I am begining to feel a little ill regarding my great new boat.
It is wrapped and stored for the winter, but, what I can tell is that the soft area is only on the fore deck. The soft area is forward of the hatch about two feet wide and forward a foot and a half. There are no fittings or other rigging attatched in the area.
I don't see any structural supports under this area, so I am wondering what will support any new marine ply and glass if I were to cut out the area and replace.

The product I have seen, "Git Rot"?" sounds interesting as far as being able to just inject new epoxy. I worry that I may just be making more work for myself when it doesn't work and I have to cut and dig out that too. Do you have any thoughts on the different fillers to add to west system epoxy for working overhead, if I were to try to do this from inside the V berth.

Once again, the area looks good and you only notice it when you walk on the fore deck. I'm planning on installing a roller furlling set up in the spring, that should reduce my time spent up there on a daily basis.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
The product I have seen, "Git Rot"?" sounds interesting as far as being able to just inject new epoxy. I worry that I may just be making more work for myself when it doesn't work and I have to cut and dig out that too. Do you have any thoughts on the different fillers to add to west system epoxy for working overhead, if I were to try to do this from inside the V berth.

You really can't ingore this.. if water is still getting in, and no reason to think it is not, it will only get worse. And then one day you will step right through the deck!

I used CPES to fix an area of wet deck on an old S2. The big trick is to dry the area. It has to be totally dry, and the leak fixed. That takes a month+ if you work from above and drill holes for air. But it DOES work.

http://www.rotdoctor.com
 

cjm1

.
Jul 10, 2013
41
custom Herreshoff 33 sloop Lake Charlevoix
You need to bore small holes about an inch apart fore and aft all around the soft spot and do this from the top. Inject some pure alcohol and that will absorb the water and let it sit all winter (heated area would help). When completely dry (bone dry because epoxy resin will not spread into any moisture) inject epoxy resin until it will take no more. You should brace the deck underneath since the epoxy is heavy and will bow your headliner/fiberglass overhead. I would use the slower reacting epoxy resin to give it time to penetrate. If it is a large area you might need to cut the deck (top skin only) and insert some plywood and in that situation you might want to thicken the resin after you coat all surfaces with the resin (no additives).The secret is it needs to be 100% dry. Good luck
 
Aug 22, 2011
1,113
MacGregor Venture V224 Cheeseland
If you are going to keep the boat you might as well just cut the top skin open and replace the core.

The hardest part is getting started, and if unfinished getting restarted.

.02
 
Apr 1, 2010
398
Cal 33 and Sea Pearl 21 . Crystal River, FL
I use cabosil if thickening on structural parts or the fairing compound for filling/fairing (when strength is not as important).

west marine is tried and true but EXPENSIVE! I use this site for all my stuff... I typically use vinylester resin as it has higher adhesion than polyester and higher finishing product compatibility than epoxy (epoxy can only be covered with epoxy).

http://www.shopmaninc.com/index.html

again, you need to judge your intent. if you just want to gauge your sailing interest (like I am doing with my boat) then leaving it should be ok. if you are going to keep it then there is no question that rotten areas are weaker than structurally sound areas.
 
Sep 12, 2013
76
Catalina 22 Dillon, CO
Love all the feed back, thanks.
I hope to keep this boat for a long time. I am probably over thinking the project right now, we have a long winter and the lake wont thaw until May.
She is covered and stored and under a blanket of snow today. I wont get to unwrap it until spring, thats when the fun begins.
Thank you for the leads regarding Rotdoctor.com and Shopmaninc.com, I am glad I'm not always at the mercy of West Marine.
 
Oct 10, 2013
127
Catalina 22 Minneapolis
Love all the feed back, thanks.
I hope to keep this boat for a long time. I am probably over thinking the project right now, we have a long winter and the lake wont thaw until May.
She is covered and stored and under a blanket of snow today. I wont get to unwrap it until spring, thats when the fun begins.
Thank you for the leads regarding Rotdoctor.com and Shopmaninc.com, I am glad I'm not always at the mercy of West Marine.
I have the same issue with my recently purchased '74. A fairly large area of the foredeck is soft, but not near where any of the standing rigging attaches so I'm thinking it's not super-critical. My plan is to sail it for the summer of 2014 and get a feel for the boat, then address the issue next fall.

Cutting it out and replacing the core sounds like a lot of work, but seems like the way to go if a person intends to keep the boat. But like I said, I'm just going to leave it until after I've sailed it for a season.
 

kito

.
Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
If you don't feel like messing with fixing it now then I would go ahead and make a router template to cut out the top fiberglass decking, dig out the rot, cover and let dry out over the winter. It will have to be done sooner or later....may as well start now so it will be ready to finish in the spring. If you install new plywood and reuse the deck piece that was cut out, the job will not be that big of a deal next spring. If you do a good job of blending in the epoxy seam it should not be too nocticable especially if you give all your non-skid a coat of Kiwigrip type paint.
 
Jul 21, 2013
333
Searching for 1st sailing boat 27-28, 34-36 Channel Islands, Marina Del Rey
You have great recourse provided. I would cut the lid of the rot, dig it out now and let it dry over winter. This is the best time to get started. As topcat said, the hardest part is getting started.
 
Nov 28, 2012
148
Catalina 22 #442 Somerset, Ma
I have a 6 by 6 area on the cabin top that looks like someone dropped to there knee really quick and made a circular indentation,it can wait i think till next fall.we will see in the spring
 

hewebb

.
Oct 8, 2011
329
Catalina Catalina 25 Joe Pool Lake
If you can get hold of a vacuum pump ( the kind an A/C service would use) you can drill the holes in the deck and place a plastic sheet over the drilled area, seal it with putty around the edges, place a hose, with a vacuum gage on it, in the sealed area, turn the pump on. It will boil the moisture out provided the area is sealed. Let it run for a few hours. If it is not sealed and you cannot pull a vacuum, dry heat over time. Above all; you need to find the leak and get it fixed.