The ultra-thin top laminate layer (including non-skid) on Pearsons requires some 'special thought' for making repairs.
Pearson used 'gaskets' under their stanchion base plates as 'a cushion' to avoid damage to this VERY thin top skin.
Repairing such a THIN top laminate without some previous expertise will most probably result in a great cosmetic MESS.
Pearsons with rotted decks, due to leaking stanchion bases, are 'best' repaired by doing all the work 'from underneath' .... simply and very carefully cut away (Fein Tool with ultra thin 'cabinet' saw) a large enough section of the interior liner to expose the structural 'underdeck, cut the 'underdeck' including the tapering of the cut away edges to between 8:1 to 12:1 taper, remove all the rotted balsa, epoxy in new core using thickened epoxy mush, epoxy in the cut out part of the underdeck (now tapered) using 'bands' of epoxy fiberglass to fill the tapers then let cure and finally grind flat with the old under deck, carefully 're-glue' in the previously removed liner pieces, etc.
All this is done while laying on your back, having it 'rain' dribbling epoxy while you 'jack' into place all the previously cut away liner sections, etc.
Doing it from 'underneath' will not cause an exterior 'cosmetic mess''; if youre careful with the reassembly of the liner you will have essentially zero cosmetic messes on that surface ... and no one looks under there anyway if you do make a mess. The only thing you have to do is be REAL careful when separating the core from the very thin 'top skin' so that you dont break this ultra-thin top skin laminate. Use Klegecel or other 'non-wood' when recoreing.
If you elect to do all this from the 'top' side, and if you have NO experience with 'cosmetic' repair including restoration of the non-skid .... its not going to look very good when youre done.
Be careful and use only SLOW cure epoxy, do only ONE lamination or 'glue line' at a time, to prevent the epoxy from 'going exothermic' which can cause a 'foam out' and if the foaming becomes trapped can push the deck apart and break the thin 'top skin'. Use your hands to continually feel for temperature rises during the epoxy work and if the 'kick' is too fast and you start to 'foam out', dump LOTS of ICE onto the top skin to help control the 'runaway' epoxy reaction; I like to apply the ICE first, and if the heat of the resin kicking doesnt happen I simply remove the ICE. Obviously you dont want to do this with a sun HOT deck.
Go to the WEST SYSTEM website and learn how to correctly 'thicken' epoxy by using special additives, etc. Also some good advice on that WEST website's 'project' listing, etc.
If you do this from 'underneath', are careful, your repair will be completely NOT NOTICEABLE from outside the boat. PM me if you have further questions. ;-)
PS .... follow rgrangers advice, get that Don Casey book. ;-)
Pearson used 'gaskets' under their stanchion base plates as 'a cushion' to avoid damage to this VERY thin top skin.
Repairing such a THIN top laminate without some previous expertise will most probably result in a great cosmetic MESS.
Pearsons with rotted decks, due to leaking stanchion bases, are 'best' repaired by doing all the work 'from underneath' .... simply and very carefully cut away (Fein Tool with ultra thin 'cabinet' saw) a large enough section of the interior liner to expose the structural 'underdeck, cut the 'underdeck' including the tapering of the cut away edges to between 8:1 to 12:1 taper, remove all the rotted balsa, epoxy in new core using thickened epoxy mush, epoxy in the cut out part of the underdeck (now tapered) using 'bands' of epoxy fiberglass to fill the tapers then let cure and finally grind flat with the old under deck, carefully 're-glue' in the previously removed liner pieces, etc.
All this is done while laying on your back, having it 'rain' dribbling epoxy while you 'jack' into place all the previously cut away liner sections, etc.
Doing it from 'underneath' will not cause an exterior 'cosmetic mess''; if youre careful with the reassembly of the liner you will have essentially zero cosmetic messes on that surface ... and no one looks under there anyway if you do make a mess. The only thing you have to do is be REAL careful when separating the core from the very thin 'top skin' so that you dont break this ultra-thin top skin laminate. Use Klegecel or other 'non-wood' when recoreing.
If you elect to do all this from the 'top' side, and if you have NO experience with 'cosmetic' repair including restoration of the non-skid .... its not going to look very good when youre done.
Be careful and use only SLOW cure epoxy, do only ONE lamination or 'glue line' at a time, to prevent the epoxy from 'going exothermic' which can cause a 'foam out' and if the foaming becomes trapped can push the deck apart and break the thin 'top skin'. Use your hands to continually feel for temperature rises during the epoxy work and if the 'kick' is too fast and you start to 'foam out', dump LOTS of ICE onto the top skin to help control the 'runaway' epoxy reaction; I like to apply the ICE first, and if the heat of the resin kicking doesnt happen I simply remove the ICE. Obviously you dont want to do this with a sun HOT deck.
Go to the WEST SYSTEM website and learn how to correctly 'thicken' epoxy by using special additives, etc. Also some good advice on that WEST website's 'project' listing, etc.
If you do this from 'underneath', are careful, your repair will be completely NOT NOTICEABLE from outside the boat. PM me if you have further questions. ;-)
PS .... follow rgrangers advice, get that Don Casey book. ;-)