Repairing leaky port

[Don Crowther]

I pulled one of my leaking ports this weekend and found the plywood above it rotten
So now I'm trying to figure out the best way to repair the area above the port. When I dig out the rotten plywood do I just slip in some epoxyed plywood to replace it?
Do I butter the plywood with thickened epoxy? Then after that has set drill some holes above the port and pour in some epoxy? The trim ring should hide the holes.
What about just replacing the plywood with spray foam?
As always any ideas will be excepted.

 

[31seahorse]

Hello Don,

Pictures would help any of us make a better assessment of your port leak problem. I have never used the spray foam technique you mention, but if you had the correct density of foam that might be the "quick and easy, down and dirty" answer. I would worry about the stiffness of the foam and the ability to seal the fasteners.

I have done the type of repair you mention on two boats. Some off the determining factors would be how serious you want to get into the project and how much time and money you are willing to invest. On one boat I removed the inner plywood liner along the ports. That liner was rotted and had to be replaced too. The area between the hull and the inner plywood was also plywood that had rotted. I replaced that "filler" with new plywood coated with epoxy and clamped in place. Getting the correct thickness was a bit of a challange, but do-able.

On another similar core rot provlem I dug out the rotted material, let it dry (even used a heat gun to speed the drying), and then filled the void with wood and pored in some epoxy. That was a stancion base and required a strong base for thru-bolts. Plus the deck piece needed support from below.

I'll look for pictures of the port project and add them to my post if they are available. Also, I like the 6 ten thick epoxy because it is very easy to work with. I don't like the small amount in each tube though.

Best Wishes, Phil

 

[gettinthere]

How high does the wet ply go? Are you sure it is water from that port that wicked up there?

If it is only an inch of wet core, I'd just inject a thin epoxy and be done.

 

[Don Crowther]

I'm not sure how high it goes yet. There is a teak hand rail and eyebrow piece above the ports and they could be letting in water.

I though if I dug out about an inch and a half of the wet stuff and replaced it with plywood then drilled a couple of holes above it. I would then use epoxy to fill from above.

The cabin top around the hand rail feels fine not soft no give anywhere. If I take the hand rail off I could poke around and see if the plywood is wet under it.

 

[Don Crowther]

One of the problems I foresee is getting the epoxy to stay above the port. That's why I thought the answer might be filling the gap with plywood first then pouring in epoxy from above.
I haven't had much luck getting the epoxy to stay in place when applying it from below. It just flows out. Maybe I'm not getting it thick enough. Can you thicken it to a firm putty like consistency?
Pictures didn't turn out so good not enough light around the port just a dark area.

 

[kloudie1]

This stuff is pretty good, Don:
http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...me=WEST+System+Six10+Thickened+Epoxy+Adhesive
point and squirt and trowel as necessary. I am with gettinthere, look higher and even on the flat parts .. a pad eye or deck organizer with bedding failing?

 

[Don Crowther]

It couldn't hurt to pull all the deck hardware and inspect and rebed it all!