Am I in trouble?

[Jim Rice]

The "frames" that pass from side to side, under the cabin sole on my 1980 H27 have drains to let the bilge water run freely between thru the bilge (btw, check your deck drain hoses--'nuff said). There has been some amateur (more amateur than me) patching around them with silicone sealant. And there are some cracks on the fiberglas between the frames--not deep, not weeping, not long. BTW, the keel bolts seem tight and sound OK when Mr. Amateur taps on them.Am I in trouble from 1) rot from water that may have gotten in the frames (ie, is there wood inside, foam forms for the 'glas, etc.) and 2) the cracks. Your help is solicited and any ideas are welcome. An advance thanks to all of you.

 

[David Foster]

Guard against Water in Wood

The grid is glass over wood.You need to make sure that:- Water has not damaged the wood. If it has, repair and replace is needed. This probably means pulling the boat and getting a moisture survey done. The alternative is drilling into the wood to check for rot in suspicious places (near cracks, for instance.) Once you know the status, replacing a timber will mean cutting a hole in the floor liner, then wood and glass work. You can DIY, or hire it done.- Water cannot damage the wood in the future. This means repairing and sealing cracks. A reasonable glass repair job.The boat is worth the effort in my opinion. I am replacing a water/rotted mast step this spring.DavidLady Lillie