Soft Decks, Terminal Condition?

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Tim Campo

Help me please. The decks on my 1976 O'day Tempest are soft. I bought the boat in December and checked for flexing but it looks like they must have been frozen or something because now i can push on them with my hand and feel them move. I am scared that my boat is ruined. Please advise. Tim
 
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kim

don't know much about coring

that doesn't sound good to me. have a yard check the core with a moisture meter. r-ecoring can be a very nasty job.
 
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Justin - O'day Owner's Web

Don't Panic

Tim, Firstly, don't panic. Secondly, how bad is it really. Take a plastic handled screwdriver. Tap the hull with the handle somewhere it is hard. Now go around the decks tapping. Good hull will sound sharp, like the hard section of the hull. Note the places it sounds dull. Then check to see how hard you have to push to see movement in the dull spots. One finger, several fingers, your whole hand, you don't see any movement, etc. Write us back with the information and we can get you moving the right direction. The repair may be something you want to have done in a yard, but may be something you can do yourself. Let us know what you find and we can help figure it out. Justin - O'day Owner's Web
 
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Tim Campo

It isn't as bad as I thought it is.

Perhaps I over reacted. I went to the boat on my lunch today equipped with screwdriver and notebook. Here's what I found out and it isn't nearly as bad as I imagined that it was. Most of the boat gives the sharp sound. The dull sound comes on top of the cabin next to the place where the mast attaches and is for an area of about 2 feet by 2 feet. Also, the floor between the seats is dull, and it gives a little when you walk on it but I cannot move it with my hand at least enough to see it move. Can I fix this by myself? Also, what does GROCO mean? The previous owner left a notebook with some project ideas. It says on one page GROCO then some numbers. Tim
 
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Justin - O'day Owner's Web

Basic Lesson in Fiberglass.

Tim, Its impossible to know for certain from here, but it sounds like this is something that you can take care of without massive trauma. Your decks are made of a layer of wood sandwiched between two layers of glass reinforced resin. Outside of the resin is a layer called the gel coat. This is what you see when you are looking at your boat. What happens is water gets in through the holes in the deck around bolts etc. This water gets trapped between the wood and the glass. They separate, which is why it sounds dull when you tap it. What you need to do it this: 1. Find a local person who is knowledgeable to come and ensure that you have found all the problem areas. If they find something you missed, let us know and we can re-evalutate. 2. Remove all the fittings on the deck. Replace them and seal them in place with a product like 3M's 4200. 3. Drill several small holes in the bottom of the decking around the mast and the bottom of the cockpit sole. 4. Go sailing and enjoy the summer. 5. In the fall, epoxy the little holes shut, then drill several holes in the top of the deck and inject thinned epoxy according to the manufacturer's instructions. I'm glad for you that this is going to work out! Justin - O'day Owner's Web
 
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Tom Ehmke

GROCO

Tim, Groco is a manufacturer of heads. Probably he wanted to rebuild it and made a note. Someone was selling rebuild kits on the o'day website last week. Look around on the site and see if you can find the article. Maybe someone else remembers it... maybe there's nothing wrong with it... I guess you'll find out sooner or later...
 
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Justin - O'day Owner's Web

GROCO rebuild kits

Tim, Your local marine supply store should be able to provide the kit you need if you are unable to locate it on line. Justin - O'day Owner's Web
 
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Don Evans

Research

Tim, the Tempest was a grand little boat. Because of its vintage there is a very good chance their is some delamination in the deck core,specifically around deck fittings, such as mast step, stanchion posts and hatches. It will probably be balsa on the bends of the deck and ply on the flatter sections. I highly recommend a great little book by Don Casey, called "Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair". In it he details exactly the necessary repairs you will need to make. If you love the boat, it will be worth the investment. G' luck. Don
 
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Greg Ward

Fix the problem or sell the boat

I own a 23' 1974 O'Day. Unfortunately I don't have as good news as Justin. I had this exact problem, my deck was soft under the forward deck. This was to much for me to handle and I have considerable knowledge and know how when it comes to boat repair. Your deck under the gellcoat and under the fiberglass is rotten. First the fiberglass repair guy inspected my boat with a moisture meter(no kidding--a moisture meter) Once it was determined that I had considerable water/moisture under the deck they cut the entire forward deck and lifted the fiberglass. Under it was rotten wood. Cleaned it all out replace it with a new material called cleducell (sp), resined the hell out of it and rebuilt the entire deck with new fiberglass and then gelcoat. That is the correct way to care of your unfortunate problem. Sorry for the "not-so-good-news."
 
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Justin - O'day Owner's Web

Greg - It may not be rotten

Greg, I recommended Tim have someone look at the boat with him to ensure that what you are describing is no lurking in there. I agree, such a situation is beyond the scope of many backyard mechanics. However, the core may not be rotten, it may merely be separated. I had this problem on my daysailer and on a 420 (or was it the FJ) I used to race. Tim, Even if it is rotten core, its not outside the purvey of a reasonable handyman. You need to do your homework, and work with care, but you can do it. Justin
 
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