deck rot problem

[Wayne Steinhour]

Hello,

It looks like I have some deck rot on my old 23, and I'm wondering how best to fix it.

I'm storing the boat in one of those tarp-covered storage "buildings", so there is some moisture build-up inside. Today, when I went out to get something off of the boat, I noticed that, while most of the deck was dry, there was a considerable area on the starboard side along the cabin that was damp. It feels a bit spongy and sounds hollow when I tap on it. The area is about the width of the side deck and covers maybe a foot or two forward of the chain plate and another foot or so aft of it. The area around the chain plate itself seems solid. It had been repaired by a previous owner. I also noticed a damp area near the mast step, but it seems solid. I'll have to investigate it more.

Anyway, I'm wondering what I will need to do to fix it. Should I cut out a large section of the top fiberglass layer of the deck, then scrape out any rotten wood from under it? What would I replace the rotten stuff with? Marine plywood? Fibeglass cloth and epoxy? Would I be able to epoxy the existing fiberglass surface back on top? Is this repair project too much for a novice like me?

Thanks for your help.

Wayne

 

[Joe11688]

Wayne, I'd go down to the public library and draw out some books by Don Casey on Fiberglass repair and get familiar with what the job entails before going out and buying the resins and Etc.
Here's some sites to check out:
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/fiberglass-boat-repair-and-restoration/

http://www.bertram31.com/proj/tips/index.htm

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/forumdisplay.php?f=135

 

[25yearslater]

Oday used a balsa core for most of their deck structure with plywood at the cockpit coamings and bow. You can see the process of a complete deck recoring and finishing under Bigger Boats, "And so it begins." I used the West Systems Fiberglass Boat Repair manual. I too am a novice with this type of work but it is coming out quite well.

 

[Shoaldrafter]

deck repair

Oday used a balsa core for most of their deck structure with plywood at the cockpit coamings and bow. You can see the process of a complete deck recoring and finishing under Bigger Boats, "And so it begins." I used the West Systems Fiberglass Boat Repair manual. I too am a novice with this type of work but it is coming out quite well.

- - - - // - - - -


Wayne,

Similar problems have been repaired by many novice some of whom reside on this forum.

Don Casey has written a easy to follow book for you to start with, Sailboat Hull & Deck Repair.

Also, search the archives on this forum and other sailboatowners.com forums. There is much good advice and experience out there.

Also there is a related question over on:

http://forums.oday.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=137770

Most old boats have problems. Just remember some guy built it, some guy can fix it...

Ed K

 

[Wayne Steinhour]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I have started reading up on deck repair. It sounds do-able. I did a more thorough inspection this morning and decided that the mast step area is still solid, so that was good news. It looks like I'll have a project to keep me busy for a bit when warm weather gets here.

 

[OdayDave]

Deck repair

Wayne -

I had the same problem with my O'Day 25 last year, and I essentially followed the approach that RBone used. Specifically, I found the extent of the water intrusion by drilling out small pilot holes (1/8 inch drill bit) out from the mast step until I found dry wood. Then I used a small pneumatic circular saw to cut a square out to dry wood. I carefully pealed the top skin of gelcoat up and dug out all the soft wood. I ended up with two rectangular pieces of the gelcoat skin on either side of the mast step, of equal size which were cleaned up eventually reused in the repair. I then got fiberglass matting (relatively wide threads) and layed it in with West Systems resin, and built it up to just below the original deck surface. I then put a final layer of resin and set the gelcoat skin back in place on top of the resin. I then routed the edge of the skin so that I had a smooth gap between the undisturbed gelcoat (i.e., the gelcoat that was not pulled up) and the gelcoat that was reattached with resin, and then used evercoat to fill in the gaps. I sanded that smooth and then drilled out the maststep holes and put that back in place. Since the boat didn't have an organizer plate under the step, I added one while I was at it.

I should have documented the steps with pictures but unfortunately I didn't. Anyhow, the final picture of the repaired deck is in my picture gallery (Lagniappe album) on this site. It took a couple of weeks to do everything (from conception to final repair) but technically it was not difficult. I just moved slowly since it was the first time I had done fiberglass repair. Rbone has some better pictures of his. Also, Keith did a similar repair on his O'Day 26. Both Rbone and Keith (emergpa1) do excellent work and theirs turned out very nice. Overall, I was happy with the repair, and since I removed the wood, there is no more risk of water intrusion under the mast. Still, I'll check the chalk under the mast step each year to make sure it isn't breaking down.

Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25

 

[Wayne Steinhour]

I think I got most of the demolishion work done last weekend. I wound up cutting out an area about 8 inches wide and 16 inches long. It included the area around the chainplate. I think a previous owner must have hit something hard with the chainplate because it is slightly bent and the top layer of the deck had been crudely repaired. When I peeled off the top layer, I saw that the lower layer also had a hole in it just aft of the chainplate. There was a bunch of silicone shot down there, but a chunk of the fiberglass was just laying in there loose. (I'll try to attach a photo.)

Anyway, I was wondering what I need to do around the chainplate. Fortunately, the bulkhead looks and feels solid. There were a few small blocks of solid wood epoxied in around the chainplate between the deck layers. Would this have been the way it was made, or was it part of the bad repair job? What do I need to do around the chainplate to ensure that I get a good watertight seal so it doesn't rot out again?

Wayne

 

[emergpa1]

Wayne, when you repair your deck, you should not install balsa core all the way to the chainplate. Instead, you will want to put just thickened epoxy where you cut your hole for the chainplate, just like when you drill out the holes for through deck fittings. That way even if the sealant around the chain plates leak, you will not be getting moisture into your core material.

I think I got most of the demolishion work done last weekend. I wound up cutting out an area about 8 inches wide and 16 inches long. It included the area around the chainplate. I think a previous owner must have hit something hard with the chainplate because it is slightly bent and the top layer of the deck had been crudely repaired. When I peeled off the top layer, I saw that the lower layer also had a hole in it just aft of the chainplate. There was a bunch of silicone shot down there, but a chunk of the fiberglass was just laying in there loose. (I'll try to attach a photo.)

Anyway, I was wondering what I need to do around the chainplate. Fortunately, the bulkhead looks and feels solid. There were a few small blocks of solid wood epoxied in around the chainplate between the deck layers. Would this have been the way it was made, or was it part of the bad repair job? What do I need to do around the chainplate to ensure that I get a good watertight seal so it doesn't rot out again?

Wayne