Rotten to the core!

[bugbitten]

oneAs some of you may recall, this is my first boat, and thus every experience with it is full of wallet-emptying surprises.

My latest one started this past weekend. We had a ton of rain here in the Hampton Roads area. My 9.2A checked out pretty well, except for an area around three of the bolts holding down the 10" square Bomar hatch over the cabin, just after of the mast. I've had the boat about 18 months and have occasionally seen a drip from that area, but nothing major (ha!). Still, I figured I should probably pull the hatch and rebed the whole thing. I got the hatch out fairly easily, and I immediately found rot on the port side of the opening. I poked around and found more toward the aft section, but the areas to starboard and toward the mast, luckily, felt firm.

I've excavated the two major areas. The one towards port is maybe an inch deep, but the one aft is at least four inches. These leads me to think maybe I'd better pull the cover over the companionway hatch and reseal all those screws.

My computer is acting up, so I'll go ahead and post this part, then come back with some questions and pictures.

Thanks.

John
I've excavated the two major areas. The

 

[bugbitten]

So, initially I thought I could clean out the junk, dry it all out (I have a small shop vac blowing air into the area as we speak), and then fill it with new balsa and epoxy. All this without cutting the fiberglass.

I have noticed that the companionway hatch is harder to slide sometimes. It was pretty stiff today, after a good rain yesterday. This could indicate a lot of moisture getting into that area and causing it to swell.

I've not noticed any soft spots, but perhaps I've just been deluding myself.

If I can get down to dry wood through the existing opening, can I then do the fill through the opening, rather than cut into the headliner, etc., or, even worse, go through the outer skin?

Any more info I might be able to gather that would be helpful?

I swear the boat looks a lot better than these photos. I really haven't been totally neglectful!

Thanks.

John

 

[bugbitten]

Was back at the boat just now, after some more heavy rains. I peered toward the back of the rotted area with a flashlight and you can see the screws from the cover penetrating the rotted area. I'm guessing those are a big part of the problem, too, so off the cover comes. Don't think I can pull it until I'm pretty sure we'll have a protracted dry spell, and suddenly those seem to be in short supply.

I'll let you know what I find once that cover's off.

John

 

[bugbitten]

When I've been rebedding and setting new items, I've been using the urethane tape that Maine Cat sells. Is this the same stuff Bomar sells to bed their hatches, except narrower? I think theirs is 3/4", but I haven't been able to find the ad I'd seen.

John

 

[bugbitten]

Keep answering some of my own questions! Bomar sells their part #P2000-81, which is a 1/2 x 3/4" roll of foam tape to mount the hatch to the deck. The only problem is it's a 33 foot roll and I need maybe 4 of that!

 

[woodster]

When I've been rebedding and setting new items, I've been using the urethane tape that Maine Cat sells. Is this the same stuff Bomar sells to bed their hatches, except narrower? I think theirs is 3/4", but I haven't been able to find the ad I'd seen.

John

John i think you mean butyl tape That Maine Sail sells....i used it on my forward hatch also made by Bomar when i replaced the original S2 hatch works great ......

regards

woody

 

[Merlin Clark]

I'd use the butyl tape too. I used it on all of my topside hardware and love it. I'll never again use a squeeze tube where I don't have to.
Your plan for scooping out the rotted stuff and working from the open edge is what I would do too.
Also, you can use a plastic hammer to locate rotted spots. A thunk is good solid coring and a dull thud indicates rotted core.
All old boats should have the hardware rebedded and many have some rot. The rot is fixable and yours is in a place that's easy to work.

 

[bugbitten]

Thanks, Woody. I did mean butyl tape. I'll look at the underside of the hatch to see where it mates up with the deck. At this point I'm not sure if one strip of the butyl along the outside edge, along with using it on the hold-down bolts, would be sufficient.

I think The Admiral would probably prefer I sound the deck with my forehead instead of the plastic hammer, yelling, "D'oh!" each time I hit a rotted section.

John

 

[woodster]

Thanks, Woody. I did mean butyl tape. I'll look at the underside of the hatch to see where it mates up with the deck. At this point I'm not sure if one strip of the butyl along the outside edge, along with using it on the hold-down bolts, would be sufficient.

I think The Admiral would probably prefer I sound the deck with my forehead instead of the plastic hammer, yelling, "D'oh!" each time I hit a rotted section.

John

you will be able to hear the sound from the same side you are hitting with the hammer ...when you start tapping on the topside of the deck you will be able to distinguish the difference ...just bounce the hammer around an listen to the different soundings...or go to a spot that you know is solid and learn that sound then go from there.....


regards

woody

 

[BobM]

I haven't done it, but I would think that you could butter smaller pieces of balsa core and stick them in the existing slot.

I bought a small hatch and was thinking of putting it in the same location...aft and left of the mast...not right behind it. Is that where it is and if so, how is it working out for you both from a deck hazard perspective and ventilation-wise?

 

[bugbitten]

I've ordered a sheet of balsa core that I believe is the same thickness as what's in there: half inch. The three-eighths looked like it'd leave too big a gap.

I haven't had any problems with the location, and it does help ventilation some. I've been thinking of putting a Nicro solar fan on it, but that might be a bit too much to dance around when you're furling the main.

I was VERY happy that it leaked to port and aft and not forward, toward the mast!

John

 

[jrowan]

We used to have an 8.5 meter. Deck rot is kinda unusual for S 2's as their pretty solidly built. But also check your chainplate penetrations. Mine used to leak like a sieve until they were rebedded. Also check the stanchion bases for the lifeline supports. If you rot is only an inch or two wide then I would just drill dig out the rot with dental pics, drill access holes & pump it full of West Systems epoxy that comes in a caulk gun tube. Its much easier to apply & is solid as a rock once it sets up. I had one soft spot on our old S2 above the head, so I just drilled a hole & installed a convenient solar Nicro fan there that improved ventilation & dealt with the soft spot. 2 for one repair. Cheers.

 

[BobM]

His problem is that a previous owner installed a hatch aft of the mast but didn't isolate it from the core. That area flexes a lot, especially as the block under the compression post under the mast is often gone after thirty years. I want to put a hatch there, but need to resolve the compression post block issue myself.