I did not take pictures, sorry. Here are the steps I used…
1) Remove the anti-skid tape. Take pictures of location and measure length, it will be replaced with new material at the end of the project.
2) Mark areas where foam columns are to be placed. Exact locations are not critical but try to center them in areas where you have the greatest sag. I centered mine in the space between the centerboard pocket and seats, YMMV.
3) Cut holes using a 4” hole saw. It’s worth the cost for the correct tool. You will remove a circle of about 3/16” plastic bonded onto about 2” of rigid foam.
4) Where necessary, I propped up the deck using a 2X4 across the seats with a line pulling up a small board located under the deck. For me, this was only necessary in 2 locations to assure the deck was level.
5) Form 8” cylinders from Mylar sheets taped up to contain the foam. I seem to remember the length between the bottom of the deck and hull varied between 8” and 12”. These cylinders can be collapsed to position below deck and unrolled to form a column between deck and hull with a 2” overlap on the deck. I cut tabs in the bottom of the cylinders to help adjust to the hull which slopes in this area. The bottom of these do not have to form a tight seal against the hull, we’ll handle any gaps during the pour.
6) I poured foam in only one cylinder at a time because of the short working time. Mix a small amount (keep the first pour to 2 ounces or so of the liquid mix) and pour it around the bottom perimeter of the cylinder to let the foam form a seal against the hull. After it expands, continue to mix and pour small amounts of the foam until the cylinder is full. Be careful as the foam approaches the top of the cylinder so it does not expand onto the deck.
7) Trim the foam so it is flush with the bottom of the plastic deck. I removed the foam core from the plastic disk I described above when gluing the disks back in place. If the deck was propped up with line, trim that as well.
8) I used West Systems epoxy to secure the disks in place but any quality product should work. Be sure to cut a wide V groove between the plastic disk and deck to give the epoxy sufficient area to bond. Any mismatch between the trimmed foam and the replaced disk should be bedded with epoxy to provide a firm base.
9) Because of cracking caused by the sagging deck, I applied two layers of fiberglass using epoxy to the deck area, starting at the mast step and stopping about where the seats end aft. Here is where you could possibly try to work with 3” holes above and cover the patched area with the 4” anti-skid tape mentioned below. Prior to work above, I took a plastic disk to an auto paint store and had them match the color with a two-part coating. Other repair guides call for a particular spray paint and, to be honest, color matching was really not all that important. If you end up using the 3" holes and not applying fiberglass, the patches will be covered by the anti-skid.
10) I purchased a roll of 4” anti-skid tape suitable for wet locations from a safety supply company online and replaced the original.
It was a successful solution and ended up looking pretty good. I have to correct an original statement, I believe I did use 4-pound foam.
