Who to believe

[Will Gilmore]

If there is water in the core, then there is dry rot too. Don't just dry it out and fill it. Kill the dry rot with bleach, then dry it out and fill it. Otherwise, the fungus will spread and bring moisture along with it.
Watch the step area over time to see if it is sinking. The post will support the step but if the core gets undermined, there will be a depression under the step. You should be able to tell.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jackdaw]

Hi Jackdaw
Are you saying that O’days in gereral all bad?
Just wondering

No, not at all. I think that in general they are quite decent boats. I quite fancied the O'day 28 a time ago. I do think its fair to say they did not do a great job protecting the deck core and bulkheads from water ingress and the subsequent weakening. Different construction techniques could have prevented a lot of the issues you are experiencing. As it is, if the chain of ownership has done a good job at maintaining the deck seals, the boats can be in great condition.