Peeling varnish under aft berth cushions.

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Mar 13, 2011
3
Beneteau 323 North East River Yacht Club
The varnish on the wood under our aft and v-berth cushions is peeling off in sheets in our 2005 Beneteau 323. The boat has not gotten wet, so we are at a loss to the reason why. What we want to know is what we need to do to fix the the varnish/wood and how do we prevent this in the future. Has anyone else had this issue with their boat?
 

DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
I haven't run into this with my boat. It sounds like dampness accumulated under the cushions. I don't know if you are out of the water for winter, but if you are, its usually a good idea to at least upend the cushions or pull them out of the boat completely.

If you have to refinish, there is a fairly good article in the April 2011 issue of "Sail" comparing different finish types and surface prep. It applies mistly to topsides but some information can be gleaned as to how to go about the task.
 
Mar 13, 2011
3
Beneteau 323 North East River Yacht Club
I haven't run into this with my boat. It sounds like dampness accumulated under the cushions. I don't know if you are out of the water for winter, but if you are, its usually a good idea to at least upend the cushions or pull them out of the boat completely.

If you have to refinish, there is a fairly good article in the April 2011 issue of "Sail" comparing different finish types and surface prep. It applies mistly to topsides but some information can be gleaned as to how to go about the task.
Thanks. Yes, the boat is on the hard for the winter and the cushions are on end. We noticed the beginning of the varnish coming up at the end of the last year's sailing season, but now the varnish has really begun peeling in sheets. During the season we have fans in the berths to help circulate the air. We are also equipped with both ac and heat which we have used. We purchased the boat last summer, so we do not know if this is an ongoing issue or not. We will refer to the article.
 

Weasel

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May 23, 2004
159
Beneteau 331 Iuka, MS
JW:

If ya'll sleep in the aft cabin in cool weather with out the A/C on you will accumulate dampness under the cushions. This is from the body heat and the air temp. (I once noticed a puddle of water in my 311 one morning. Had not rained and I had not washed the boat.) PURE CONDENSATION! Now to prevent it go to the Defender catalog and get Hyper vent. Cut it to fit under the aft berth cushions and vee berth cushions. No more condensation. Simply refinish the plywood boards and use Hypervent.
I bet your problem goes away. It did for me.

Weasel
 

Mike B

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Apr 15, 2007
1,013
Beneteau 43 Baltimore, MD
I'll second using Hyper Vent for under the bunks. It's amazing how much condensation builds up during the night and this stuff goes a long way in reducing or eliminating it.
 
Mar 13, 2011
3
Beneteau 323 North East River Yacht Club
Thanks. We have noticed condensation on the cabin ceiling and windows after we spend a night on the boat. Thanks again for the suggestion. Now we just have to fix the varnish. Ick!
 

Mike B

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Apr 15, 2007
1,013
Beneteau 43 Baltimore, MD
Try keeping a port or hatch cracked so you have some air circulation and see if that helps.
 

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Is the boat original to you? This sounds like a classic case of someone slapping poly varnish over a spar varnish. It peels at the first temp change.
 
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