Is H33 deck completely balsa cored?

[Jim Logan]

Is the deck and house structure on 79-83 h33's completely balsa cored between the inner and outer skins. i haven't cut into mine, but in looking at it from inside with the sunlight outside, it seems that there are some places where there is coring, and some places where there isn't. Does anyone know the real story here? By the way, my deck and house top seem strong and not spongy at all, so evidently my boat is ok in that regard.

 

[Sam Lust]

Do you really core?

The core is plywood. It is after all, a Hunter, and that's the way it was/is done. Ply is probably a better choice for a production coastal cruiser anyhow. Coring is used in the central sections and stops where it hits curves, such as where the coach roof deck curves down to become the vertical surface where the infamous Gray ports are mounted. You can get an excellent idea if how the coring is done looking up at the underside of your cockpit sole from the inside. Only slight contortions are required. The lay up is not gel coated there because they figured the owner would never look there, and water would never lay there. Also look at the build-up of the inside of the side deck from inside the starboard "sail locker". There you'll see the way the plywood was cut, shaped, and fit in place. I've cut and drilled into mine just about anywhere you could think of, and lost count at well over 100 various holes. I could probably find a core cut to send you to prove it's plywood. There are certain areas where aluminum plate was bonded in below the surface, but it appears it was only done where hardware was expected too be placed based on the order for a particular boat. I have places where there is plate bonded in on one side (winch mount pad) and no corresponding bonded plate on the other side.If you have areas of specific interest or concern or just want to chit-chat about the boat, contact me directly at:samlust@monmouth.com

 

[Bryan C.]

My info is same as Sam's. (nm)

nm

 

[Tim Schaaf]

disagree!

I have to disagree that the core is entirely plywood. Some of it is plywood, most of it is balsa, and there are some areas where the glass is thicker and others where there is nothing. As Sam points out, these last are mostly where the curves join vertical and horizontal surfaces.If I recall correctly, the brochure and manual (four pages!) confirm that the coring is balsa, with plywood in areas of load. Sam's advice to look at the undersides of virtually all of the moldings will tell you where the coring exists.

 

[Terry arnold]

Not so fast Sam

Differences in my 79 H33 and the description given by Sam Lust for his boat, (83?)illustrates that production details may change in a long production run. My 79 H 33 deckis essentially edge grain balsa cored, supplemented with plywood or maybe other solidwood from place to place. . I will post to the photo forum a picture of an annular ringsection removed a year or so ago in replacing the ventilators with solar vents. Eventhough the boat was 21 years old when the section was removed, the balsa was sound andthe bond between the balsa and fiberglass top and bottom was still completely sound. Ihave found no metal plates although I have done a fair amount of drilling. The raisedareas on the deck for mounting cheek blocks or other line handlling hardware areimmediately underlain by plywood. The mounting bronze screws for the teak handrailsbed in some kind of solid wood. The slightly raised mast step area is underlain first by1/2” plywood and then solid fiberglass right down to the compression post flange at thecabin roof below. The cabin side is plywood cored, as evidenced in removing the ports forreplacement. I have so far removed only one of the ports and the plywood found to be completely dry and sound. In removing a manual bilge pump mounted in the starboardvertical wallof the cockpit, just aft of the cockpit locker, the thickness of the solid layup,(no plywood) is about 1/2”. The bottom surface of the cockpit sole is strengthened with alarge plywood panel overlain with fiberglass. The side decks in the cockpit area and theaft decks adjacent to the helmsman seat are likewise stiffened with panels of plywoodstrategically placed and laid over with fiberglass. The more I tear my old boat up forrebuilding, the more impressed I am with its fundamental strength.  Jim I would be interested in what areas of your boat you see light filtering through. Ihaven’t noticed any such areas in my cabin area except of course the outside of the sidedeck near the hull deck joint where it is just laid up fiberglass with no inner liner. I havethe bottom paint off my boat and plenty of light is coming in the lockers when you openone. Kind of disconcerting.