Hey all - I am one of the guys that has said that cracks on the 170 are a fairly minor deal and are pretty easy to fix, but until last year I never actually had a bad one.
Last year I ripped much of the "rudder hump" off the back of the boat so that I could replace the rotted wood that the rudder mount plate screws to. I added a round deck access port so that I could through bolt the rudder instead of using screws again . . . big ordeal, one I am hoping to avoid this year.
This year I fixed a crack under the mast step, the crack was easy enough to fix, but the screws didn't tighten - rot suspected again.
I drilled out the four screw holes to 3/4 inch, my plan is to epoxy an oak dowel into each of the four holes to have something more solid to screw to.
Trouble is that when I drilled out the holes the foam under the wood is wet - I am hoping that the water came from the crack, or from leaking around the screws. In any event my first concern is drying the thing out! As near as I can tell the foam goes full thickness from the mast step to the hull, the foam there is part of a foam box that completely encloses the centerboard trunk. I think the four holes that I drilled are the only way the water is leaving that area. I duct taped a piece of aquarium hose on the end of my shop vac and tried to suck water out, but it seems the water is in the foam - so not much luck.
How long should I let the thing stay open before I try to epoxy the dowel in place? How can I tell where the water was coming from? What other advice do you have?
I am thinking that the main force exerted by the mast is a downward force - so I might cut my dowels good and long and try to bash them into the foam as far as I can to give maximum support.
Any other advice??
Anyone know a real expert that I can call?
john
Last year I ripped much of the "rudder hump" off the back of the boat so that I could replace the rotted wood that the rudder mount plate screws to. I added a round deck access port so that I could through bolt the rudder instead of using screws again . . . big ordeal, one I am hoping to avoid this year.
This year I fixed a crack under the mast step, the crack was easy enough to fix, but the screws didn't tighten - rot suspected again.
I drilled out the four screw holes to 3/4 inch, my plan is to epoxy an oak dowel into each of the four holes to have something more solid to screw to.
Trouble is that when I drilled out the holes the foam under the wood is wet - I am hoping that the water came from the crack, or from leaking around the screws. In any event my first concern is drying the thing out! As near as I can tell the foam goes full thickness from the mast step to the hull, the foam there is part of a foam box that completely encloses the centerboard trunk. I think the four holes that I drilled are the only way the water is leaving that area. I duct taped a piece of aquarium hose on the end of my shop vac and tried to suck water out, but it seems the water is in the foam - so not much luck.
How long should I let the thing stay open before I try to epoxy the dowel in place? How can I tell where the water was coming from? What other advice do you have?
I am thinking that the main force exerted by the mast is a downward force - so I might cut my dowels good and long and try to bash them into the foam as far as I can to give maximum support.
Any other advice??
Anyone know a real expert that I can call?
john
