Catalina 30 Window nightmare!

[Derek Hewson]

Finally got my butyl tape ready to fix a couple of those leaking windows that the PO had globed massive amounts of silicone around (from the inside!).Low and behold, once I got the first window (frame and all) out, after cutting thru all the silicone (3M made a fortune on this guy!!) I find that the leak from the outside has completely water-logged and rotted the plywood core so bad, that I have had to dig out masses of "rot" with a pick, leaving huge voids between the laminates.It's so bad, that the core material between the windows is completely gone!For the first window, I saturated what I could with acetone, in an effort to dry things out. I then mixed up some Git Rot and poured it into as much crevice as possible to saturate the now "dried as best I could" core material. I then, in an effort to build back some kind of core, mixed more Git Rot with some Doug Fir sawdust and had to force it into voids as best I could.This was a lot of Git Rot that I still was not able to completely "fill" the voids with. This is my question:Has anyone had to do this before?Would it make more sense to use expanding foam to replace core material?Would expanding foam trap moisture in the existing core causing continued rot?(o.k. thats three questions)Anyone's opinions, ideas and experiences would be appreciated!

 

[Randall]

Fiberglass Boat???

It's amazing how much wood is actually in a fiberglass boat. I've had experience with this type of core damage in deck areas and had good luck with repairs. The free West System manual advertised in sailing magazines - "Fiberglass Boat Repair & Maintenance" - has some good info on how to do this in different situations. I would at least try removing the wet core and replacing it with fiberglass before going to more extreme forms of repair. You can tell how far the damage goes by knocking the fiberglass with the handle of a screw driver. The wet area will sound with a "thud", while the sound area will "ring" just a bit. While it sounds like your repair will be a tough one, as long as the fiberglass itself isn't buckling and is sound, you are on the right track to remove as much damaged core as you can and replace it with epoxy thickened with glass filler so it won't run out.

 

[Allen]

Right Approach, Wrong Materials

Derek,You have the right idea, but I'd make a few suggestions first:1. Make sure you REALLY let all of the moisture out of the core before adding any fill. That water will cause additional rot if it's not completely dried out because once you add your filler, the moisture will be sealed in there for good. Acetone is an excellent start. Heat lamps concentrated in that area for 12 hours or so will help, too.2. As the previous post suggests, West Marine's fiberglass repair guide is your best bet for finding out how to make a high quality lasting repair. Use their epoxy & filler products & you can't go wrong. Git rot is an excellent first step because it's penetrating but I'm not sure if thickening it with sawdust will get you the results you want.I have a C-30, too. They're great boats for the money & well worth repairing. One thing to keep in mind is that when you're done, if you do it right, you'll never have to worry about this issue again. Good luck,Allen Schweitzers/v FalstaffC-30 Hull #632

 

[patrick]

Good luck

Has anyone had to do this before?A. Sort of but not as bad as you describe.Would it make more sense to use expanding foam to replace core material?A. When it is dry. Foam is not as strong as plywood though.Would expanding foam trap moisture in the existing core causing continued rot?A. Probably. The cyanate component will readily react with water if it contacts it.Just to add a little info - you can just get the regular epoxy (West is what I use) and thin it yourself to make a much less expensive version of Git - Rot. Doing this will also allow you to adjust the viscosity to suit your own needs. Use care to ventilate it well so you don't breath it. Dry the area as best you can and use thinned epoxy to penetrate the area before you use filler. You might want to very carefully drill some holes to help it dry. A hole saw will cut out a washer shape which you can epoxy back in later or else you can get a hole plug to give later access. These holes will serve as a place to inspect further for rot, to allow moisture to escape, and to inject more thinned epoxy. I would suggest adding some glass fibers, wadded up mat or cloth, or something similar to the filler for added strength.